mickmo
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tiny lice like insects allover the plants

I just checked my plants today and discovered tiny black in colour lice like insects allover the plants. Anybody help?

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GardenRN
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weird because I just saw something like this on my eggplants today. :?

I don't know what they are but they are very small and jump like fleas. But I think they are bigger than fleas. They will jump to the ground without hesitation as well.

If they are fleas and get in my house I will be beyond p-oed!!

Are yours jumping around when you try to squish them? I just thought...fleas are attracted to light colors. maybe I can put a piece of paper out there and see if they jump to it. A long time ago one of my cats got outside and got fleas and I know that they will jump onto a white piece of paper.

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Kisal
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#1 might be black aphids? #2 may be flea beetles?

Flea beetles:
[img]https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/GSFgraphics/stripefleabeetleradishweb.jpg[/img]

TZ -OH6
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If they are jumping and leaving holes behind they are flea beetles. If they just stand there while you squish them they are probably aphids.

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GardenRN
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definitely flea beetles then. They run like crazy when you come after them, and they have left my eggplant leaves looking like swiss cheese. The don't seem to be bothering the other plants for now though and the egg plants were really just for looks so IDC if I have to rip them out.

On the other hand, maybe I'll hit em up with that garlic spray just to 1-up them ;)

Kisal I like your quote! I mean really....if there were fairies the gnomes totally would have told me :lol:

cynthia_h
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Yes; flea beetles LOVE eggplant leaves....and whatever else of the plant they can get. :x

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mickmo
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No they don't seem to move at all. I sprayed a mixture of soap and water on them, but to no avail :evil:

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Kisal
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If they didn't move at all then I suggest that a) they might be scale insects, or b) they might be dead, or c) they might be something other than insects, such as frass (the droppings of insects and their larvae).

Since they don't seem to move around, maybe you could post a clear close-up picture of them for us? It's much easier to ID things from pictures, than it is from written descriptions. :)

LindsayArthurRTR
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GardenRN,

If you suspect they are flea beetles, leave your eggplants for them to eat. Eggplant is their favorite, and we usually plant it just because of that reason. If you take away their favorite, they go for the next favorites...Tomatoes, potatoes, beans. As long as the eggplant are there, they will mostly leave the others alone.

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GardenRN
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much appreciated lindsay. ;) I have left the eggplants but admittedly more out of pure laziness than strategy. But since I'm not looking to plant anything else there I'll just leave them as bait.

I wonder though if I am perpetuating a problem by giving them a more suitable breeding ground. Maybe I should be killing them as they feed on the eggplants. I don't want to get into a situation where I am having to plant more and more eggplant every year to satisfy the appetite of a growing population of flea beetles.

LindsayArthurRTR
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No no... We plant a cheap six pack every year. Does the trick everytime as a lure crop. You may kill them if you like, but your choice. I'm sure neem oil would work. For me, eggplant is totally sacrificial in my garden. Not worth the sprays, and by the time they've done their damage on the eggplant, they go away! Not to be seen again till next year :()



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