Black aphids??? Nope! Flea Beetles!

[wifezilla]

I swear this morning there were NO BUGS on my radish leaves. Then tonight the leaves look like swiss cheese! Black bugs everywhere!!!!

I think it is black aphids. I sprayed with a solution of Dawn and water. What else should I do??

 

[digitS']

Betchya a dime to a doughnut, they are flea beetles.

Flea Beetles (Coleoptera) on radish (Raphanus)

Steve

 

[wifezilla]

Well @&$^&@#^&@

So now what? I just read that soapy water isn't very effective on flea beetles.

I did read that DE can help. Of course I am OUT and would have to order it.

 

[hoodat]

Neem oil

 

[digitS']

I use the rotenone/pyrethrins that are also suggested by Missouri Botanical Garden.

S'

 

[lesa]

I had a ton of them on my potato plants- I didn't do a thing about them, and they are pretty much gone. Left tiny holes in the leaves. Radish's grow so quickly- do you think they will hurt the edible part (or were you hoping to do something with the leaves?)

 

[digitS']

They have probably already been on the radish roots, Lesa.

Flea beetle larva live on the roots of the host plants, then emerge and chew on the leaves.

Some locations, apparently, they cause few problems. Here, they can be a fairly serious pest. One year, I thought that they would kill some of the tomato plants if left unhindered.

Really, it's the brassicas that take a tremendous beating each year. . . . and the eggplant :/. Everything beats up on the eggplant :/. I think that I could guarantee that I would never, ever have eggplant survive the growing season if I left them to their own defenses.

Steve

 

[lesa]

Funny that you mention the eggplant. I was at a local greenhouse and they had the most beautiful eggplants. I really, really don't like eggplant- but I was remembering you saying that everything likes them....I was considering putting one in the garden as an attraction for my local pests!! Well, I wonder if my potatoes are ruined then? That is the one thing I don't like about root crops- you don't know what is going on, until it's too late!

 

[digitS']

Your potatoes might be fine, Lesa.

Flea beetles are tiny things. It takes a lot of them to do much damage.

And, something about pests in the soil - it is really, really difficult to do much about them. Even if you know that they are there and doin' bad things!



S'

 

[wifezilla]

were you hoping to do something with the leaves?

Just the other day I was talking to hubby about the different strains of radishes and which ones had the best greens. Some of the radishes had bolted and they had leaves that got course and fuzzy really quick. My other radishes I planted later stayed smooth and tender. I decided I only wanted to keep the smooth and tender leaf variety so I could use the greens in salads.

The next day the tender leafed radishes were COVERED in those evil little beetles.

:: sigh ::