Black Bugs on Lettuce

[nes]

I noticed some little black bugs scuttling all over my iceberg lettuce, there doesn't see to be any damage to the lettuce so far. Any idea what they are? Should I worry?

I planted more lettuce then I could possibly eat (DH is not into vegetables ) so I'm not concerned with removing them unless they are going to do a great deal of damage (a little nibble here and there is fine by me).

[cynthia_h]

Not sure what to say about the black bugs, unless they're black aphids--those, you can discourage with a spray of approx. 1 tsp. of liquid SOAP (not detergent) in anywhere from 1 qt to 1 gal. of water.

Hmmm... 5 mL liquid SOAP to 1 L => 4 L of water. Makes it easier to understand for everyone in the world *except* U.S. folk...

And if you truly have too many vegetables for your own and DH's use, maybe a local food bank would like some. Or, if your excess produce is lettuce only, a local rabbit/guinea pig/pocket pet rescue would be ecstatic! DH and I gave a couple of bags of carrot greens, turnip tops, and parsnip greens to the local rabbit rescue. The people were thrilled; the rabbits just ate the stuff...but their little noses were twitching...

Good luck with the bugs, and happy gardening.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[nes]

They sort of look like aphids but not really enough that I'm worried thats what they are. There still isn't any damage to the leaves so I tried to soap and we'll see if they go away but I'm not too concerned if they aren't going to eat the lettuce .

Bunnies are a good idea, but DH has some bad memories after being bit by one I was babysitting (he still has a scar). His boss actually has one so I'll give him the extras, it would be rather entertaining to watch as he throws the leftovers to the caged rabbit .

[nes]

I got a better look at the bugs last night (they run away as soon as I part the leaves). They are black, maybe 1/4", with a hard split shell and 6 or so legs. There is now a little bit of damage to the outer leaves (very small holes) so I`ll keep it up with the soap spray and see if that helps.

Does anyone know what kind of bugs these might be?

[Joplin]

We had a few black bugs when we left for a weeks vacation. We returned to an infestation. Do your bugs look like mine?

[Peter1142]

Your description of tiny little holes makes me think of flea beetles, but they are smaller than 1/4 inch and I am not sure they eat lettuce.. they also aren't around now in most places. They also jump like fleas and don't run away. So that is an unlikely guess.

Could still be aphids? They come in all sizes. But suck sap and don't make holes AFAIK.

[imafan26]

Aphids don't usually run very fast. It could be fungus gnats they run but they also fly. They don't have a hard split shell though. It sounds like some kind of beetle.
Did it look like this one in the link?
https://mobugs.blogspot.com/2010/02/whit ... g-bug.html