I encounter earthen fleas every summer. After all, it is they who so actively eat the leaves of turnips and other plants. They are capable of destroying the entire crop in the bud if measures are not taken in time.
Features of earthen fleas
These insects are similar to fleas only in that they can jump high. They do not bite or drink the blood of humans or animals. Vegetation serves as food for these representatives of the leaf beetle family. In total there are about 10,000 species.
These very small bugs can be of different shades from gray and brown to orange and striped.
Some of the fleas prefer to eat only one type of plant, while others eat everything. There are cruciferous fleas, well known to me, there are potato, beet, etc.
Habitat of earthen fleas
Beetles hide in the ground in winter, on the roots of plants, on plant debris. With the melting of snow and the onset of heat, they get out of their places of hibernation and begin to eat plant shoots. Until cultivated plantings appear, they eat weeds.
With the onset of stable heat, females lay eggs. Hatched larvae, in turn, gnaw on young parts of plants (leaves, stems, roots). Then they turn into pupae, and pupae into bugs. Thus the next generation is born.
Signs of the appearance of fleas in the garden
I can see that these microscopic pests have appeared by the following signs:
- pits and holes appeared on the leaves or the leaves were eaten completely;
- tops of plants are damaged, growth points are destroyed;
- plants wither and dry up.
Mass reproduction of fleas leads to the death of the entire crop. It happened to me that two-thirds of the plantings of turnips were destroyed, because I noticed the invasion of bugs late.
Cruciferous plants are most susceptible to attack by these pests. In addition, beets, potatoes, cereals.
Measures to combat earthen fleas
I use Tabagor to fight bugs. It is a mixture of tobacco dust and ash. I sprinkle plantings after each watering and rain. Until the plants grow up, fleas will not leave them alone. In adult plants, the leaves are tougher, it is harder to gnaw them completely. Such a mixture can scare away not only fleas, but also other pests that live in large numbers in the garden. Once, with the help of “Tabagor”, I even repelled a hamster who got into the habit of eating beets on the vine.
A solution of 9% vinegar helps with fleas (two glasses per bucket of water). Making a more concentrated solution is dangerous: you can burn not only fleas, but also vegetation.
For prevention, I plant marigolds and calendula next to vegetables.
If you can’t cope with folk remedies, then you will have to poison insects with insecticides. You should act strictly according to the instructions so as not to harm yourself or the plants.
To prevent the invasion of fleas, I carry out the following agrotechnical measures:
- I comply with the landing dates;
- adhere to the rules of crop rotation;
- I cover young shoots with non-woven covering material;
- regularly carry out weeding, destroying weeds;
- I loosen and mulch plantings;
- I do not violate the norms of watering, I do not let the soil dry out;
- In autumn I spend deep digging of the soil.
Small pests, it would seem, cannot cause serious harm to garden plants. In fact, they are extremely greedy. I take preventive measures to limit the breeding of fleas on the site, and if they are found, I immediately take measures so as not to be left without crops and flowers.
How do you deal with these pests in your garden? Share your experience in the comments.
Read also: The leaves of sweet pepper are all in holes. Reasons and solution
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