Flea beetles can wreak havoc in the garden. These insects are recognized by their tiny, shiny bodies that are about the size of a sesame seed. They are typically black, bronze, or a dark metallic blue ...

Flea beetles are tiny pests that feed on a variety of garden plants. “Flea beetles can cause a lot of damage on edible and ornamental plants,” says Alejandro Del-Pozo, PhD, assistant professor and ...

When horseradish flea beetles feed on their host plants, they take up not only nutrients but also mustard oil glucosides, the characteristic defense compounds of horseradish and other brassicaceous ...

Flea beetles are one of the earliest insect pests we see in the garden. We found them here a few days before the Memorial Day weekend munching away on radish leaves. These small insects are called ...

Many vegetable bugs are fairly straightforward to control, but others are downright challenging. Flea beetles fall into the latter category. When I was doing the research for my new book “The ...

Gardening season is underway, and you may have questions. To ask one, simply go to the OSU Extension website, type it in and include the county where you live. A photo is very helpful. Q: I’ve ...

Flea beetle damage. It begins with a tiny “shothole,” a hole straight through a leaf as if the leaf was poked with a tiny ice pick. Damage begins with a few holes then faint lacy patternings appear ...

TINY TERRORS. Flea beetles are a common garden pest, but there are ways to limit the damage. Photo courtesy of Maryland State Cooperative Extension The living world always exists in dynamic balance.

Horseradish flea beetles use plant defense compounds, so-called glucosinolates, from their host food plants for their own defense. Like their hosts, they have an enzyme which converts the ...

I first saw a photo of a sumac flea beetle posted by Steve Mlodinow in Flickr, a public platform to post photos and enjoy the works of others. I looked for the beetles, but had no luck until Steve ...

The fascinating and highly efficient jumping mechanism in flea beetles has been described. Despite having been known since 1929, the explosive jump has not been fully understood. The fascinating and ...