[mumvplus 3]

Hi I was feeling pretty chuffed (new to all this) until tonight just been to water and found my newly planted out salad bed looks like lace along with all my brassicas its the dreaded flea beatle. All plants were grown at home first so pretty established but what can I do to get rid of them? Dont really want to run to the expense of fleece as quite a large area they are just netted to stop birds,butterflies. All suggestions greatly received
Thankyou

[tassie]

The search function revealed this:

http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-flea-beetles.htm

[mumofstig]

Either wait for a downpour or give them a good drowning with the hose. The watering knocks them right back in my experience.
They can look pretty gross for a while but usually grow on ok.

Just thought....I've never seen flea beatle on salad......have you just got lots of tiny holes eaten out of the leaves?

[DavidT]

I agree with Lesley, keep the soil moist and you shouldn`t have a problem.

[mumvplus 3]

Thankyou everyone. Yes its an oriental salad mix they;ve chosen one particular type its hole ridden and you can see them jump! Its probably my own fault then didnt get down to water last night as daughters b'day, never seen them before tonight. Should I water daily even if its not particularly hot? I did spray them off with hose but checked again before I left and could see some had returned already?!

[mumofstig]

Ah it's brassica salad leaves...that explains it..they love my rocket as well..little 'beep's.
Spray them as hard as a good downpour would, that should sort most of them.

[Flump]

I have had exactly the same with my Brussel Sprouts,little so and so's!! :mad:I have used some PY powder which seems to have sorted them out.