Flea, fleas & more fleas! Help!

14 years ago

Ugh...they started on my Texas Sweet Onions, which are now struggling due to the pesticide I had to use on them to get rid of the fleas. I didn't spray it on the plants anywhere, but i'm sure it soaked into the soil a bit. Now, they've spread to a few of my pepper plants! :( I don't know what to do. They must have eggs somewhere or something. Is there a safe (and cheap!) way I can completely get rid of them w/o harming the handful of plants they are on? I don't want to keep using this Ortho Home Defense spray on them and have half my veggie plants die. I dread the fact that they may spread to my maters if I don't do something soon. Please help! I'll be going to HD today after work, so anything they might carry that would help with this would be the best. I can also stop by my nursery on the way home, if something more specific is needed.

Thanks! - Steve

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Comments (6)

newbiehavinfun
14 years ago
Hmmm. I don't know if this works for plants, but I rub diatomaceous earth (DE--used in pool filters) into my dog's fur to repel fleas. It doesn't hurt the dog, but it's like broken glass to fleas. I woudl think you could rinse the plants real well after harvesting and it would be fine. Maybe something to look into?

Megan
digdirt2
14 years ago
Are you talking about flea beetles? Very small black beetles that jump like fleas and eat tiny shotgun pellets size holes in plant leaves?

Or fleas (Siphonaptera) as in blood sucking sand and/or pet fleas?

I'm going to assume the first since fleas, per se, aren't really a garden problem.

I assume you know that many common garden insecticides are listed for use against flea beetles, including carbaryl,
pythrethrins, neem, spinosad, DE, and rotenone? Also that most established plants can tolerate a normal infestation of flea beetles with no real problem? So bringing out the big guns may be over-kill.

Weed patches nearby should be treated and trap crops are also effective.

Dave
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noinwi
14 years ago
Nasturtiums make a good trap crop for flea beetles.
tn_veggie_gardner
Original Author
14 years ago
Dave: Thanks for the help, man. =) I feel a bit better now. I was very worried that they'd tear up/destroy all my plants. I'm quite sure they are normal blood sucking pet fleas. I have no plant damage at all. They just seem to be hanging out on top of the soil, especially more when it's moist. I will absolutely not use the way too wicked strong Ortho on any plant again. Hey, we all continue to learn small lessons like this, right? ;) I'll spray them with a tad bit of Neem Oil based GardenSafe Veggie plant stuff if they annoy me anough, but will probably leave them alone.

noinwi: I have three Nasturtium plants in very close proximity to the fleas. They don't seem to be attracted to them yet. I'll try setting those next to the plants that have the most fleas (probably my Texas Sweet Onions) and see if they hop on over. :)
bella_trix
14 years ago
I'd be very surprised if these are actual fleas just hanging out in the garden and not flea beetles. Real fleas want to be on something warm-blooded, not garden soil. Flea beetles really look and move like animal fleas. It's a little creepy.

Mustard also is said to work as a trap crop for flea beetles, especially if it is planted sparsely in a dry, hot, open place.

Certainly seems to be looking like the Year of the Flea Beetle! Several local people that I've talked to are having really bad problems this year. The flea beetles are actually doing significant damage on young plants, rather than light damage on their normal victims (eggplant, peppers, etc). They also seem to be the dusk feeding variety around here. It makes me wonder if the dusk-feeding subspecies from Kenya has just arrived in the USA. Wish I could find more information about it.

Well, Steve, hope your plants recover!
Bellatrix
digdirt2
14 years ago
If you aren't covered in bites and there are no holes in the plant leaves then that sounds fungus gnats rather than fleas or FB.

FGN are common to containers especially and leave once the soil is allowed to dry out some - which right now in our neck of the woods is IM-pos-sible!

Dave

Flea, fleas & more fleas! Help!

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newbiehavinfun

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Flea, fleas & more fleas! Help!

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newbiehavinfun

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noinwi

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