Flea Beetle Pests of Vegetables

NYS IPM Type: Vegetables IPM Fact SheetFlea beetles are common pests and frequently do serious damage to vegetable crops. Excessive feeding damage by flea beetles can stress and kill young plants. On maturing crops, feeding may scar leaves or fruit, resulting in cosmetic damage and reduced crop value at harvest. Some species are important vectors of crop disease. Flea beetles rapidly colonize crops at the onset of warm spring weather and serious damage can occur quickly. Species occurring in the northeastern United States include the corn, potato, crucifer, eggplant, striped, horseradish, palestriped, and tobacco flea beetle. Some of these are consistent pests, whereas others only occasionally cause serious damage. As the names imply, there is a certain degree of crop specificity associated with the various species of flea beetles, although many feed on several crops and numerous weeds. On occasion, other species of flea beetles may be present and cause damage to vegetables