Flea beetles eat up my eggplant seedlings if I don't use Sevin. I would like to be able to grow them organically. From what I read, rotenone is effective and classified as organic. I might try that next year.

Other advice is to plant "trap crops" like mustard and radish, but it seems like that would be a double-edged sword. It might just draw more of them to the general area.

Rotenone *is* organic, but it's strong stuff -- make sure you use a dust mask, gloves, etc. when applying it. Laboratory studies have shown it to cause Parkinson's-like symptoms in rats...

[QUOTE=Cole_Robbie;425166]Flea beetles eat up my eggplant seedlings if I don't use Sevin. I would like to be able to grow them organically. From what I read, rotenone is effective and classified as organic. I might try that next year.

Other advice is to plant "trap crops" like mustard and radish, but it seems like that would be a double-edged sword. It might just draw more of them to the general area.[/QUOTE]


Lima beans will repel both Flea beetles and Colorado Potato beetles if interplanted on the same row or on the next row intercropped (protection is good for about 6 feet from the limas).

But the protection won't start until the Lima vines are about 8 inches tall.

But a tea made from fresh Lima bean hulls and leaves will provide the same protection. Make the tea when you have the hulls and leaves available and store it until transplant time.

My recipe for the tea.
1 gallon (packed) fresh Lima bean hulls or leaves
3/4 cup Rosemary leaves (fresh or dried)
3 gallons hot tap water

Place everything in a large stock pot and bring to a boil (covered). Boil for 15 minutes. Allow to cool overnight. Strain and store in 2 or 3 litre plastic bottles out of direct sunlight until needed. Requires no refrigeration and will last for over a year. Be sure to label it so you or your heirs will know what's in the bottles. Makes 3 gallons of tea.

To use, for each gallon of tea, add 1 teaspoon of table molasses and 1 teaspoon Palmolive Orange dishwashing liquid. Shake well to dissolve the molasses. Spray on plants to point of runoff including top and underside of leaves. For transplants, dip the entire plant into the tea before planting then spray the ground around the plant after they are planted. Spray every 10 days to protect new growth until the Lima beans are big enough to provide protection. Claud

Note: If you don't want to grow the Limas, but want to try the tea. A local farm supply shells peas and Limas for $3.00 per bushel and if one in your area offers this service, you can probably get the hulls for the asking, but make sure to use Lima hulls as the pea hulls will attract the beetles instead of repelling them.

Lima beans intercropped with tomatoes, peppers and eggplant and Lima beans interplanted with eggplant.

[QUOTE=Ken B;425198]Rotenone *is* organic, but it's strong stuff -- make sure you use a dust mask, gloves, etc. when applying it. Laboratory studies have shown it to cause Parkinson's-like symptoms in rats...[/QUOTE]

I always used liquid Rotenone. But to my knowledge, you can't get it any more except in huge quantities intended for the worst possible use - fish kills.

My eggplants were fantastic last year!

This year, I planted my (Japanese Long and Ping Tung - thanks for seeds Claude!) eggplants out late in the hopes of avoiding flea beetles. I also planted radishes as a trap crop and I waited until the radishes had their second leaves before daring to plant the eggplants.

Believe it or not, flea beetles were no problem. They didn't even bother my mustard greens. Could it be because I grew Lima beans in the garden this year????

Linda