On Tuesday, May 6, 2014 9:33:44 AM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
OK , today I found a small black bug on my decimated eggplants . About

maybe 3mm long , and several on most leaves - except the one where the

spider has set up shop . Also found a Colorado potato beetle on an eggplant

yesterday .

Something is eating the leaves on my peach tree , not sure what but

they're havin' a time of it .

Found a small green caterpillar on one of the apple trees , a few leaves

have been munched .

Found a small bug , cylindrical and about 5-6mm long with orange spots on

either side of it's "neck" and long antennae , not sure if it's a predator

or pest .



My plan for right now is to dust the affected plants with some DE , should

stop most pests . I surely don't want to get into using insecticides now ,

as I have a bee hive coming later this month . In fact , I'm not so sure I

should continue the DE after the bees arrive . I just know I need to get a

handle on this before it gets out of control .

--

Snag

The small black bugs on the eggplant are most likely flea beetles. They will attack eggplant seedlings as soon as they are planted. I usually follow planting with a spray of pyrethrum and every 10 days or so after that until blooming.

Steve