[q]Help! My eggplants are being decimated by flea beetles. I am sure they are waiting to move to all the other plants. As I live on a creek, I cannot use a product such Pyola from Gardens Alive (the label says harmfull to fish). I tried a homemade soap of vegetable oil, dish washing liquid and water to no avail. Any suggestions?[/q]
[a]
There is a product called Ultrafine Oil that can be mixed with water and sprayed on plants infested with insects during the summer. (It is not the same as dormant oil spray that can only be used during the winter). I believe it works by coating the respiratory tubes on the outer layer of the insects and suffocating them. It also works on scale, aphids, etc. You should be able to get it at a nursery supply. I have bought it at Home Depot in FL in the past.[/a]
[a]
Is this actually organic? I found it at Lowe’s, but it said on it that it is a petroleum based oil, and that it is harmful to aquatic life. –
I’m almost positive I have a flea beetle infestation. All my eggplants that have been out for 1 week look like swiss cheese. I inspected the leaves and actually caught a few of the insects. The look like tiny round fleas. That’s all I could get before the jumped away. What’s a good product that I may have around the house to rid myself of them. I did a search without much help. I did read one person suggest dusting flour on the plants. Would this work? I do have straw down as mulch.[/a]
[a]
Canola (or other, probably) oil, small amount of dish soap & water. Reallllly dilute the mix of oil & soap, then spray on. I made a batch of this last year (just improvised a recipe) & it worked GREAT. In recent years I had stopped even trying eggplant because of this, then the little buggers ate some of my beet leaves last year & I had to come up with something! :) So this year it’s back to eggplants again. [/a]
[a]
I agree sounds like flea beetles. Sounds like a goodly infestation and you have provided them with their favorite habitat, straw. So go to the pet store and buy yourself a bottle of Oganic pet shampoo. Take the hose end sprayer and make a 50/50 solution of shampoo and water and spray the bajeebers out of the garden. Not just the egg plants the whole garden. The last thing you want is them setting up hose in another part of the garden. Do it in the early evening so ya don’t burn the plants. The treatment should work for about 10 days then come back and do it again. That will take care of those who hatched after the first spraying.[/a]
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