On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 09:11:19 -0400, Mary McHugh
wrote:

Andrea Bostrom wrote:

This year in my garden I have tomatoes, squash, a variety of
peppers, and eggplant. I am certainly no garden expert, but am wondering what
I can do about my eggplant leaves being devoured? I love eggplant fresh from
the garden but have had bad luck with it. Any ideas on what I can do to keep
whatever pest is getting it away? I am in Zone 6.

I'm also in zone 6 in the northeast. The two biggest pests I have with eggplant
are flea beetles and potato beetle. The flea beetles are very small and look like
black specks on the leaves. They leave a lacy pattern on the leaves as they eat
them. Colorado potato beetles are large and just chow down on the leaves in their
entirety. They leave eggs on the underside which are orange.

So far, I've been able to keep the flea beetles at bay with Safer's insecticidal
soap. I spray every couple of days. The potato beetles don't usually show up
until later in the season but they're easy to pick off and squish.

"Chow down" is right about Colorado Potato Beetles, and their fondness
for eggplant. Also correct is the "pick off and squish" advice, as
well as inspecting the undersides of leaves (also of tomatoes) for the
orangish egg masses, which can be scraped off and squished. BT San
Diego seems to discourage them a bit, too.