This is my second year growing eggplants in containers: 5 gallon plastic buckets from Tractor Supply, and they do grow and produce far better than I've ever had growing in ground either here or at my last house.
However, some darn way those flea beetles find them anyways, even though I have them growing up on an elevated patio. So no, that didn't lessen the bug problem for me. Also, the Japanese beetles fly over and hang out on them also.
Neat trick with the Japanese beetles. I fill a small plastic tub (1 qt. ice cream tub) with warm water and a squirt of Dawn dish liquid, then just use a stick or bamboo skewer to knock them in the water. Easiest way I've ever found to kill them and no pesticides.
Works on tomato hornworms, too, though I've been fortunate not to have them past two years with all the swallows around.
