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Old 15-05-2007, 07:54 PM posted to rec.gardens
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: May 2007
Posts: 205
Default flea beetle problems

On May 14, 2:20 pm, "AlanG" wrote:
"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in messagenews:VIadnXBazY_zGNrbnZ2dnUVZ_vKunZ2d@gigan ews.com...

I have a rather serious flea beetle infestation. Small seedlings are being
stripped before they can get big enough to survive the damage. I hesitate
to use chemicals that say things like "wait 3 weeks after using this before
harvest". Garlic spray doesn't work. Wood ashes doesn't work. Does anyone
have any practical advice on how to handle flea beetles without getting out
pesticides that kills everything that lives? I'll do that if I have to, but
I'm open to safer alternatives.


I haven't tried it, but radio garden shows and garden centers in my area
have been hyping Neem like crazy this season.

This Cornell web site has good details on the most widely used organic
products...

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/res...olanaceous.php


Yeah, Neem first showed up on the organic gardening front a few years
ago, since then has been gaining momentum like crazy. Only drawback
seems to be it's not very longlasting. Claim is that people in India
actually consume it as a tonic.