Flea Beetle

[Chantal]

I have a bed which contains various salad crops, which has been covered by fleece, but the flea beetles are now on the inside of the fleece. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? My unprotected salad crop has also been blighted by them. Any ideas anyone?

[oldherbaceous]

Chantal, quite a few years ago i had trouble with flea beetle. I read somewhere that if you spread grease thickly onto a piece of cardboard, and go over the row at about six inches high the flea beetle jumps and sticks in the grease.
I tried this and was surprised by how many i had captured, the only problem being, i got so much stick of all my mates i stopped doing it.
I think most people use derris dust though.
You can also use an appropriate insectiside if you wish.
Why don't you have ago with the cardboard and grease if nothing else it will get people talking and by the way if you fix the cardboard to a stick it will make it easier.

Kind regards an inventive Old Herbaceous.

We will always get some sort of weather.

[Chantal]

Thanks OH, what a great idea. Do I need to use any particular grease? I don't have any of any sort so I'll have to go and scrounge or buy some.

[peat]

petrolium jelly is great for it.
Pete

[Chantal]

I think I can manage that kind of grease. Thanks

[Beryl]

I tried the greenhouse yellow sticky fly traps tied to sticks.- had some success.

Beryl.

[Johnboy]

Hi Chantal,
I spray with Nicotine and I can see the hands thrown up in horror from here. It is wonderful and totally organic! Used sensibly Nicotine is very very affective. If used inside your fleece at least you would only kill what you intended to kill.

[Carole B.]

Uhmmmm....do you actually eat the salad afterwards,Johnboy? I thought Nicotine sprays were no longer legal...or have I got that wrong?
I found that I was no longer troubled with the bouncing beetle when I started growing my salads in big pots and raised them on a low bench,before that I think it must have been the Rocket that gave them flight!They certainly had more of it than I did!

[Johnboy]

Hi Carole,
Regret to say that Nicotine is quite legal but do not let your imagination run away with you as you obviously wouldn't spray something that you are going to eat the following day but it is not a concentrated spray of Nicotine and in my case below the recommended dosage. I faffed around trying all different methods of getting rid of the little S-ds.
They make a mockery of Oriental Vegetable if given the opportunity.

[Chantal]

Hi JB, well as these as it's mainly the mizuna and mibuna I have a problem with, how do I make a nicotine spray?

[Allan]

Could it be that you happened to have the adults hibernating in the particular soil that you put your crops in. Otherwise it seems a bit early to me.Last time FB were discussed I websearched and got info about their life cycle but the exact timing was very vague, I think it depends a lot on the temperatures at the time.
Allan

[Chantal]

The area that's affected had onions and garlic in last year. I did have flea beetle on the rocket, but that was a good 30 feet away. Would that be the problem? They started this year on the Mizuna about 3 weeks ago.

[PT]

Hello Chantel.
Lawrence D Hills, founder of the HDRA recommends nicotine spray.[But I don't think the HDRA recommends it now]

Quote: Get 4oz of used filter tip cigarette ends. [Ask local pub] simmer in 2 pints of water for 30 mins toping up as required. strain through nylon stocking, dilute it by adding 4 parts water to 1 part of the solution. Mark container POISON. Keep off skin and out of eyes. He go's on to say: It brakes down in 48 hours, so there is no build up in the soil.
I've used it a few times it works well.

I used it on wooly aphids, on my apple tree. added a little soft soap to the mix.

You might want to simmer this brew outside, as the smell is YUK.

Peter

[Carole B.]

We go to all this trouble to grow healthy veg and then spray it with a collection of boiled fag ends from the local pub.......the mind boggles!

[Chantal]

Thanks for the info PT but I'm not sure I could do that without being ill. One of the tips I gave the girls giving up the cigarettes was to empty an ashtay into a jam jar, fill with hot water, shake and sniff; this would make them sick and not smoke. The smell from your recipe must be even worse, truly horrendous! I think I'll stick with the vasoline on card waved over the top.

Thanks anyway