Hi, I did a lot of research to find something to kill the flea beetle on my eggplants and everyone suggested row covers. I could not do that because the flee beetles over wintered in my raided bed last year and therefore, they kept coming everyday no matter what I did to stop them. I have been applying soap solution, DE, neem oil, home made organic solution and everything in between for the past one months but nothing worked. Every morning I would spot 8-10 beetles per plant and I would hand pick and crush them between my figures but still find 8-10 new beetles on each plant in the evening I was about to give up and then I read about Pyrethrin. Below is the link of the product I used two days back - One application and the beetles are gone for good! Unbelievable!!! And very economical too, I bought it from a local nursery for $7 (8oz) and mixed half tea spoon in two cups of water and sprayed the plants. If anyone is struggling with flea beetles I highly recommend it. I wish I had found the product a months back! Hope I can save someone else the time and frustration. http://www.amazon.com/Bonide-857-Pyreth ... =pyrethrin
I'm glad you found a solution to your flea beetle problem GF. I hope the Pyrethrin doesn't affect bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects though. I guess time will tell.
Yep, it will kill even the beneficials too. But I have read that when using a spray, do it just before dusk or before dawn...bees, butterflies and ladybugs are not active during those hours and when they do become active the pyrethrin isn't supposed to be as harmful to them. Another alternative is to plant Marigolds all around the garden. Marigolds do not kill insects but they do repel most of the bad guys and the bees, butterflies and ladybugs love them.
Eileen, Toni, I did sprayed it at dusk two days ago and I have not seen the beetles since on the eggplants; I have no idea how that happened! It is no less than a miracle for me!! My eggplants are very young and they do not have any flowers yet and I read that the Sun breaks Pyrethrin down; it works on contact only. The best thing I like about it is one does not need to re apply, at least I did not. On Wikipedia it says it is widely used around food products for 100+ years. Let's hope for the best.
