Looks like a little bug or catepillar is eating them. Check the underside of the leaves.

I personally use a mixture of water, dishsoap and oil when I see catepillars. Easy to make and much more eco-friendly than pesticide or insecticide.

2 quarts water
1 tablespoon dishsoap
2 tablespoons oil

Again this is the recipe I use....you can find lots of different ones online.

Here is a link that might be useful: How my garden grows!

FWIW, there are warnings about using dish soaps that are antibacterial -- some say they kill the plants. I don't know myself since I've never used an insecticidal spray. What's recommended instead is a very mild dish soap, like liquid Ivory or even liquid Castille.

You guys are so helpful - thanks for pitying a newbie...

Before I read these responses I looked up in my new helpful book (Susan Lovejoy Trowel and Error) and made a spray from tabasco, soap and vinegar.

Here's what they look like today... worse? healing? spots are whiter now not sure what to make of that.

{{gwi:56873}}

It's dark out and I went out to see if I could find who my culprit was and it's definitely FLEAS.

They are all over the cucumbers.

I sprayed with the vinegar and pepper combo - and I put out the plate of apple cider vinegar and water but really they just seemed to be taking a dip in it.

Should I buy Diatomaceous Earth?

It is actually more likely flea beetles, which look a lot like fleas. Real fleas don't hurt plants. I'm surprised that they are more active at night. I always thought they were around during the day. I've used trap crops (mustard) to keep them otherwise occupied. They do the most damage in dry, open ground with a few plants widely spaced. They seem to stay away from heavily planted, wet areas in my garden.

I attached a link on organic options for flea beetles below.

Bellatrix

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Flea Beetle Control

It was said about flea beetles -- "I'm surprised that they are more active at night."

They're not.

Vinegars are sometimes used as herbicides, that is, to kill vegetation. Thought you'd want to know.

So far as I can see, your cukes haven't developed true leaves yet, so hopefully, as your cukes grow, they'll recover.

Good luck with your vegetables! Hope all turns out well......

Hey, now I know what has put millions of holes in my tomato plants! I noticed the tiny, black, jumping beetles on the leaves and all the holes they were/are making. I smash them when I find them. They are a pain. So far, they seem to have left the cukes alone (mine are about the same size as yours).

ndvweb-

Seeing the flea beetles after dark (but not at day?) has me interested. Did you see them at dusk by any chance? Apparently, there is a species of flea beetle where the males feed heavily at dusk, but, from what I read, they are mostly attracted to Heliotropium (wilted in particular). Very interesting! Apparently diatomaceous earth will kill them, but it will also take out everything else in the area (good and bad bugs).

Bellatrix

those dang flea beetles! I was on my porch one day looking at my beets and thought I saw a color change! I got up to take a close look and saw a mass of of them, I swear to god that in the 20 min from when I first looked at the beets from the porch and when I got up to take a closer look; the beet greens went from deep green to dull with a huge amount of damage, I sprayed poison to kill the Ba$%^*!@ and tossed everything in to the trash! What a waste.

ndvweb-

Are you still out there? Could you post/update your signature to show which state/region (SE,NE etc) or nearest large town is your location?

Thanks,
Bellatrix

I'm outside of Philly in Zone 6b and it was technically dusk - so not pitch black but dark enough. Little fleas were going nuts on my cucumber leaves and it appears they've found my peas too.

I grew these from seed so feeling quite miffed. I sprayed the vinegar, pepper combo on them last night and I ordered some DE - I dont' want to kill everything in my garden but these guys are swarming it.

DE is an excellent bug killer, but works only so long as it is bone dry. But as someone said above, DE kills indiscriminately both beneficials and the pests.

ATTRA usually has excellent advice on bug management. Hope the link proves helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: ATTRA on flea beetle management

Thanks ppod - I guess I need me some nematodes!

Just went out there now at 6pm and the bowl of vinegar and water has about 20 floaters in it - and the cukes are flea free. But it rained a lot today and I'm guessing there not as active in the rain. Will be watching closely tomorrow morning and evening too.

"I guess I need me some nematodes!"

ND, here's another idea. Try a cover of tulle. Scroll down toward end of thread to see the picture of fanfortony's tulle row cover.... It's the neatest rowcover ever!

Here is a link that might be useful: Fanfortony's tulle screen

Everybody is talking about bugs, insects.
But those white spots are not caused by insects. Insect can only eat the leave not make it get white. However, fungus can have that effect.

Most seed leaves get that kind of problems because of cold, harsh sunshin, handling, low humidity.

My advice is, do not worry too much! wait for the true leave to grow then see what is happening.

I have to agree. While there are a couple of spots, just let them grow, I'm betting they will be fine with no need to apply chemicals. I get spots like that on a lot of my seedlings - and I just let them grow, they almost always do just fine.