tiny black bugs on eggplant

I planted out a few of my eggplant plants last weekend and I noticed today there are tiny holes in the leaves. Upon closer inspection I could see a LOT of little black bugs eating away at the leaves. I would have taken a picture to post but honestly they are just tiny round black things. All you would see is a black speck.

Any idea what they are and more importantly WHAT CAN I DO TO GET RID OF THEM??

Thanks for any help!

They are Flea Beetles. The only thing they attack here is the egg plants. We've been using an organic spray on the ones in the garden and it's not doing anything to stop them. The first year we tried growing them, we used Sevin dust, I think, and it didn't help either. I've read blasting with water several times a day would work, but I don't have time to do that.

Best remedy to protect egg plant is to plant in planters and have those planters at least a couple of feet off the ground. I guess they can't jump that high.

Hopefully someone that has effectively stopped them, will pop in and give you an answer.

Thanks, at least knowing what they are, I can try to do some research of my own while I wait for someone who "knows" how to rid my plants of them (It's a little late to put them in planters now). They are only on the eggplant so that fits.

The organic insecticide Spinosad supposedly gives good control, Pyrethrin works sometime. Rotenone is longer considered organic but it will work. If you are not organic , carbaryl (one brand name is Sevin) takes care of them. It is what I use when necessary. Permethrin also works. In most areas they only are a problem in cool weather. Once hot weather arrives, they cease to be a problem. Oh and sprays are much more effective than dusts.

Thank you Farmer Dill! I have had the same problem and wondered what to do.

Thank you! We are in the 90's for the next several days so maybe nature will take care of the problem for me! One can only hope. I am somewhat in "the sticks" and not sure where I would go to get the above mentioned. But I will start looking so I can try to have them on hand.

I have to be careful what I use as I have daycare and we go in the garden from time to time. I have to be sure at least that I wait a time after application before we walk out there.

This is a very annoying and impossible problem to get rid of, I've everything the gardener told me to, the ones I planted in my garden - died. I plant two in pots and have them on my deck (very high cause I've a walk out basement) that didn't stop them, but this helps..............in a water bottle with few holes in the cap I combine water/ few drops of joy dishwasher /cooking oil/hot pepper shake and wet the leaves each morning, it worked just make sure to get the new leaves cause they loves those best...........good luck and let know if it helps.
I also find if you keep the plant moist it helps - mulch it - those jumping "thing" loves heat

Rotenone worked on my egg plants.

Sevin is not working on mine.. :( It's in the triple digits and they are still munchin.. Blasted bugs!!

I've got my eggplant in Earthboxes (so approximaely 12" off of the ground). That did not prevent flea beatle infestation this year either. However, the plants are still setting a good amount of fruit--the plants just don't look healthy or pretty.

I have eggplants! The skeeters were too thick to take much time to see just how many are coming on but the one in this photo is about 6" long:

Sjweld,
That's a beauty!

Thanks! They are getting bigger and I even have conjoined twins!
How do I know when they are ripe?

Eggplants are best picked when they are very shiney. The longer they stay, the duller they get, the more bitter they become...

Shiney, and close to the average size for your variety (should say somewhere on the packet or google it) is when you pick them.

You're doing a great job!

P.S. I hit the plant with a good spray of the garden hose to knock the flea beetles off.

Okay thanks! Now if the skeeters would die out a bit I could stand to be there long enough to really check them.

Oh, and you can use your kitchen scissors to cut through the stems...Take a BIG bowl with you....

Or a paper grocery sac! lol

You know, since everything's going green, I rarely think about a paper grocery sac!

lol I must admit I can never remember to bring my "green" bags with me so I do get the paper sacs. I at least can put them to good use in the garden. Lay them over bare dirt and they block the weeds (between paper sacs and cardboard my garden probably looks pretty silly to some!).