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How can I get rid of flea beetles?

J

Jolene Jakesy

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How can I get rid of flea beetles? They are in my radishes & turnips making their way towards my cabbage. Any experienced gardeners have advice? I've heard of using watered down rubbing alcohol, but I'm skeptical, may hurt my plants as well.
 

w_r_ranch

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Since you sound like you're more organic than I am, i won't dwell on what I would use (carbaryl or malathion)...

Try BotaniGard 22WP (Beauvaria bassiana), it is a fungal pathogen whose spores can kill flea beetle larvae. This little fungus poses a serious threat to its host. Other options include diatomaceous earth or a product containing permethrin.

Lastly, keeping your garden clean and free of any debris is also a good practice.
 
M

Monotropa

Guest
I was going to suggest diatomaceous earth as well as a possible aid in keeping new bugs from coming. Neem oil works as a long term solution, it doesn't kill the bugs but it messes up their reproductive systems and makes them infertile. So after a few rounds with neem oil they start disappearing. Both of these should be rinsed off after a day or two of sitting on the plant and then reapplied after plant is dry.

For drastic measures you could also look into Pyrethrum as apposed to the synthetic permethrin. These are non selective though and will kill any insects even the good ones.

I grow tobacco every year and I make a tea mixed with an extract that I make from my peppers and use as a insect repellant.
 
J

Jolene Jakesy

Guest
It's a container garden, so debris is no problem. I do have diatomaceous earth.... somewhere. My hubby swore he`d clean out the storage tent last week to get it for me, and I still haven't received it.? I'll be better off going to the local farm store.

I'm very interested in the pepper extract you make, I've tried looking up rose water and found out that to make extract of rose it's pretty much hot water in rose petals and extracting oil that sits on top. Is it the same with peppers?

W R, for some reason I keep wanting to call you Tex. I'm just starting learning about organic gardening and the diatomaceous earth sounds perfect ty both so much, as for keeping the garden clean, I have a container garden its pretty easy to keep their buckets and totes clean, but the property I just moved to was logged right before I moved here last year so who knows what is going to be emerging out of the ground and dead wood everywhere.

He's an image of the garden
 

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