Flea beetles

from Ecuador: www.flickr.com/andreaskay/albums

Pulga, Xenopsylla cheopis

Pictures, descriptions and tips for how to prevent and remove 5 common garden pests.

from Ecuador: www.flickr.com/andreaskay/albums

Flea beetles are tiny, hopping, flea-like beetles of the genus Phyllotreta. To deal with flea beetles, it’s best to understand their life cycle. Adults emerge from the soil in spring and feed, laying eggs on plants’ roots. They die off by early July, but the eggs hatch in one week, with larvae feeding for two to three weeks. At this point, they fall off the plants, back into the soil to pupate, emerging as new adults in another two to three weeks. We might see as many as four or more…

Phyllotreta striolata - Striped Flea Beetle on a Mint leaf...

Now there’s some colors you don’t see on a beetle very often. Warning colors perhaps?

Are Corn Flea Beetles Harmful to Humans? The corn flea beetle does not pose a threat to people. These are tiny, leaping beetles that eat the leaves of plants such as corn. They do not spread any diseases, however, their bites might be a little irritating. Little insects known as corn flea beetles (Chaetocnema spp.) are typically found in cornfields. Their name comes from the fact that these small beetles can hop like fleas.

Are flea beetles eating your plants? Learn how to get rid of flea beetles in your garden naturally and prevent them from coming back.

Flea beetles are shiny black beetles that jump and make tiny holes in vegetable leaves.