Beneficial Nematodes to Control Flea Beetles

Our garden was infested with flea beetles, the soil was just teaming with them. We had the variety that attacks eggplants as well as the variety that attacks cole crops like cabbage, Asian greens, etc. They were so bad even the tomato plants were badly damaged, normally tomato plants can outgrow the damage caused by their feeding because flea beetles much prefer eggplants.

For the past two years I've been applying beneficial nematodes in the spring because high temperatures during shipping can kill the nematodes. The spring after the first application saw a noticeable reduction in the flea beetle population, especially the one that prefers brassicas/cole crops. The spring after the second application coincided with minimal flea beetle damage to brassicas, although the eggplants were still getting eaten up by flea beetles.

This spring I've noticed no beetle damage on peppers or tomato plants while they've been in the greenhouse or on the front porch, and last fall I had planted the whole garden in greens, turnips, and radishes and there wasn't any damage then either. Another thing I noticed is a lessening in the mosquito population this year, normally they are everywhere in the grass and garden. But it's hard to say whether the diminished number of mosquitoes is due to the cold spring.

Beneficial nematodes prey on larva of insects that live in the soil, so it won't have an affect immediately on the adult beetles, mosquitoes, etc. But they should have an affect on subsequent generations, especially as the beneficial nematode population increases with time.