Is Your Garden Under Attack?

Aphids and hornworms and squirrels, oh my! There may not be lions and tigers and all the rest coming for your garden, but there are plenty of little critters that can do some serious damage to your edible plants.

Flea beetles are one of these little pests, and they tend to attack things like potato and eggplant plants that are typically more low maintenance in the kitchen garden.

The good news is, they're fairly easy to deal with as long as you're willing to be patient and take action over the next 10 to 14 days.

Let's look at signs that flea beetles are attacking your plants and what you can do about it.

What Are Flea Beetles?

Flea beetles are shiny little black bugs with large back legs that they use for jumping around (like fleas). They like to overwinter in your garden by hiding under plant debris and mulch, and then they'll become their most active little selves in the spring.

If enough adult flea beetles decide to munch on your plants, they can cause the leaves to wilt and stunt the growth of the plant. Their babies (little white larvae) chew on the roots of your seedlings.

Flea beetles cause the most damage to younger plants. Once a plant is mature, it typically has enough leaves that it can handle this type of pest pressure, unless there's a severe infestation.

What Plants Are Attacked by Flea Beetles?

Flea beetles seem to like plants in the Brassica family (think broccoli, cabbage, radishes, and kale) and the Solonaceae family (think tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants).

Overall, flea beetles are most likely to attack the following plants:

• beets
• broccoli
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• cucumbers
• eggplant
• kale
• lettuce
• peppers
• potatoes
• radishes
• spinach
• sweet corn
• tomatoes

What Does Flea Beetles Damage Look Like?

The first sign you've got these pesky little critters in your garden will be small, round or irregular-shaped holes on the leaves of your plants. Flea beetles themselves are small, but not so small that you can't see them if you inspect the leaves of your plants. Once you start looking, you'll likely come across a whole little pest colony.

Step 1 to Handle Flea Beetles on Plants

The first thing to do is simply remove as many flea beetles by hand as possible. I use my gloved hands to squish them the minute I spot them on a leaf. It's a gross but easy way to take care of visible pests.

It's also a good idea to give your leaves a good, hard soak with the water hose. You normally don't want to spray the leaves of plants, but in this case, the need to remove pests exceeds the risk of fungal disease or mildew from wet leaves.

Repeat this step every day until the issue is resolved.

Step 2 to Handle Flea Beetles on Plants

The second step is to remove the leaves most affected by these pests. These leaves should be thrown in the trash instead of tossed into the compost pile used to make organic matter for the garden.

Remember the golden rule of pruning: Never remove more than a third of the plant at one time.

Step 3 to Handle Flea Beetles on Plants

Once you've pruned the damaged leaves, add some fresh compost around the base of the plant. This compost will give a little nutrient boost to the plant and help support it as the plant works to fight off the pests and produce new leaves.

Check the leaves every two or three days to see if there are still signs of flea beetles. Consistency is really the key when you're dealing with any kind of pest infestation. You just need to stay on it.

Step 4 to Handle Flea Beetles on Plants

If there are still signs of flea beetles, then it's time to treat the plant with Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap. You'll dilute this soap with water (1 Tablespoon per 1 quart of water) and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the leaves of affected plants heavily.

If you're expecting rain, wait until the rain has passed before you spray.

Castile soap is not a pesticide. It's a simple form of organic pest control that puts a taste on the leaves that's less attractive to beetles. I always see if castile soap will control the issue before I move on to something stronger.

Step 5 to Handle Flea Beetles on Plants

I recommend turning to garlic barrier if—and only if—castile soap doesn't seem to be working. Garlic barrier is an oil that smells like garlic, a scent that really turns these pests off. Follow the directions on your product to dilute before spraying.

Spraying with castile soap or garlic barrier can be a daily thing until you see less bug activity. I've found that within two weeks of following these five steps and checking on my plants daily, I can generally deal with small-scale pest issues.

The Last Resort When It Comes to Flea Beetles Control

If, after following these five steps for two weeks, you don't see success, it's time to remove the affected plants from the garden. There's no shame in pulling plants that are struggling. Move on to a plant that hasn't faced so much stress and that will thrive in your garden.

Two Ways to Prevent Flea Beetle Issues in the Future

It's good practice to regularly clean the surface of your soil and remove old plant debris, especially before wintertime. If flea beetles don't have convenient little places to hide, they won't want to hang out in your garden and be ready to launch their attack come spring. This is why I don't like using mulch in my kitchen garden—it just gives pests a place to hide.

The second way to prevent flea beetle issues is to cover transplants and seedlings (the plants most vulnerable to attack) with garden mesh. A simple physical barrier prevents flea beetles from entering your garden. Of course, if they're already hanging out in the soil, then you're just going to trap them inside with your plants, which is why cleaning the soil surface is so important. You'll remove the garden mesh during the daytime when your fruiting plants like tomatoes and eggplants need to be pollinated.

Don't Stress About Pests

The good news is that most of the plants in your garden aren't super attractive to flea beetles. Checking on your garden regularly is the best way to spot signs of these little critters early and prevent them from becoming a bigger issue.

Here's your reminder that pests are just a part of gardening. Take any bugs that show up as a sign you're growing something really delicious and worthy of eating!

Just because pests are inevitable doesn't mean they have to win. Check your leaves frequently, be diligent in following these steps, and you'll end up with lots of gardening wins for yourself.