Posted by Mary Small, Jefferson County Plant Diagnostic Clinic
The Attack of the Flea Beetles
Apple flea beetles on apple |
While checking on spring growth, my colleague and I were horrified
to find an enormous crop of shiny apple flea beetles dining, mating and
crawling on the leaves. We’ve found them before in the adjacent garden on
evening primrose, but have never seen them on the apples. Interestingly, they are only on the espaliered
ones!
In an historic journal from Kansas State Agricultural
College (now Kansas State University), the apple flea beetle was noted in
orchard trees “in the lower branches only and near the ground." Our affected
tree branches are closer to the ground than branches on the nearby upright
trees. Maybe there’s something to what the early Kansas researchers reported.
Flea beetle damage on tomato |
Over in the tomato planting, potato/tomato flea beetles are
feasting on the plants destined to be a seed source for our seed library
project. Although the size of the infestation wasn’t quite as alarming as the apple
one, we need these tomatoes to make it past young plant-hood! Volunteer Master
Gardeners have been out vacuuming off the little beasts and applying
diatomaceous earth.
I’ve read that 50 or more holes per leaf are needed before
there is any adverse effect on plant growth, but really hope they’re gone
before getting that far. If management tactics aren’t deemed to be at least
moderately successful, we may have to pull out some bigger guns. But time will tell.
I see flea beetles in new light after finding out what little terrorists they are. Carrying around their own tanks to fill with mustard gas? Crazy. http://phys.org/news/2014-05-flea-beetles-outwit-host-mustard.html
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to know just how they vacuum the flea beetles off the leaves...do those small hand-held vacuums work for this?
ReplyDelete