Flea Beetles

Flea beetles are only about 1/16th of an inch, and can come in a range in dark colors like black, brown and blue. Some species of flea beetles could also carry spots or stripes on their hind wings. They have a hard, shiny cover for their wings, which do work well to fly them long distances. While they are beetles, they are named for their flea-like appearance owing to their large hind legs. Those legs enable them to jump like a flea.

 

Flea larvae can range from worm-like and pale to small-legged and gray or even black. The adults overwinter in the soil. In the spring, the females will leave their eggs near the soil line for the larvae to emerge from the soil within a few weeks. Those larvae will feed on roots and sometimes leaves as they grow into adulthood.

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Flea beetles feed on all kind of plants, especially liking gardens. They will eat the leaves of eggplants, beets, potatoes, cabbages, spinach, tomatoes, corn, peppers, and other similar plants. Flea beetles will also feed on weed plants.  In an infestation, flea beetles can damage plants to the point of death within a day or two.

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For more information on flea beetles and how to control them, read our blog post