I don't know what some of these post are talking about. A flea beetle is the size of a pin head, and they do not fly. However a can jump quite a distance for there size. Make sure there is no weeds or other vegetation around the plant. If you put down black plastic in a row and plant the eggplant through the plastic, that will help. One thing you can try is the sticky goo I use for the apple maggot fly. Use a piece of bright yellow plastic card covered with the goo. They are attracted to the color and will get stuck in the in the goo. Depending on the number of beetle, you might have to replace the card or clean it. Vegetable oil is use as a solvent for the goo and then some soap and water. reapply the goo. I would use a piece a card 4" x 6" at each plant.

Asaf, I find that learning when to harvest any variety of eggplant comes with a little experience, and watching the fruit for appearance. Once the fruit begins to grow, the skin will become glossy. Glossy, shiny fruit tastes best. As it matures and reaches full size, the skin will loose that glossy, shiny appearance, and will begin to dull. The dullness is a sign that the seeds are developing, and the taste will not usually be as good as those with a shiny skin. If left on the plant, it will begin to develop a yellowish, brownish color (color changes vary by variety.) The color change is a sign that the seeds are developing and the taste will become bitter. So, by keeping watch on the fruits as they grow, you'll notice that one day they will still be shiny/glossy, and the next day they will begin to become dull. I like to harvest while the fruit is still shiny, but it's just beginning to become dull. When you get experience with a certain variety, you will know when a fruit has reached it's optimum size, but the skin still has that shininess. Overall, as said in comments above, regardless of variety, it's not size that tells the grower when to pick. It's the shine. One fruit on a single plant could be 3", another could be 8". Eggplant has an average size depending on the seed and variety type, but fruit size is very variable... even on the same plant. I hope that helps.

It's obvious to me that the people who claim ants do not kill trees have absolutely no experience with fire ants or any knowledge of them....I've noticed they are all from more northern states than Florida. Yes, certain ants will kill trees. Fire ants kill trees and shrubs. They are a horrible scourage here and were imported from Brazil in the early 1900's into Pensacola via cargo ships. They are one of the most miserable creatures on earth, and a prime example of how careless importation of foreign species is so disruptive to another area. In Brazil there is a fly that keeps the fire ants in check there, and then other birds and animals that keep the flies in check, and so on. Here, our native species do not know what to do with them, and they have flourished and gotten out of control. This is all information given to me by our local extension office. They have become so bad since the last tropical storm on our property, (and other properties in our area that did not flood), that I can't garden or walk to my clotheslines without being bitten. The bites are horrible. They burn, sting, and itch all at the same time, and then the bite forms a nasty pustule. Imagine having 50 bites. Imagine a tree or shrub dealing with them. We are having our farmer's co-op come to treat our whole 10 acres. They are not just present at the mounds. They scout all over the place. Our property did not flood, unlike many unlucky people in my area, so the fire ants have migrated to properties that stayed dry. They literall float mounds of themselves on top of flooded areas. I saw it with my own eyes. They have killed 7 rose bushes on fortuniana root stock, 5 citrus trees, and several of my native holly trees so far since the storm. They eat the roots and they bore up into the trunks of the trees. Once established into and near the trees they are almost impossible to get rid of. I've tried everything, including drenches. I am going to have my husband pull them with the tractor and burn them. Since the roots are so damaged I could actually easily remove them with a shovel, but I won't go near them any more. In addition to all of this it appears that they have displaced many of our native ants, who do not bite, and whom are important to the balance of our ecology. They've even appeared to have eaten all our earthworms. I can't find any in my composted areas. So, unfortunately, we have to "nuke" our whole property and then try to introduce the beneficials back in. So yes, ants may have killed the original poster's tree.

Just wanted to report back on the black ants that were coming out of my switch plate and roaming around on the small counter next to my stove. They would subside and then reappear. After feeding them with the Terro for three weeks or more, I just finally removed the liquid traps, cleaned the small counter area well, and hit the stragglers with some Windex. Now, they're gone and have been for days. While the Terro worked well on the red ants, it just seemed to feed the black ants.