My amaranth and other leafy greens are full of tiny round holes that make the leaves look like lace, and I see small shiny dark beetles that jump away when disturbed. The young plants are worst hit. The leaves are unsellable. What pest is this and how do I control it on a crop we eat raw?
The lace like tiny holes with small shiny beetles that jump when disturbed are flea beetles, a common pest of amaranth and other leafy greens, and young seedlings are hit hardest. Because leafy greens are harvested young and eaten raw or lightly cooked, lean heavily on non chemical methods and use chemicals only as a last resort with the shortest waiting period. Protect seedlings with a fine insect net or row cover, which is very effective since the beetles fly in from outside. Use yellow sticky traps to catch adults, keep the field and edges free of weeds that host them, and remove crop residue after harvest. A neem oil spray repels and reduces them and is safer near harvest. If pressure is severe and a chemical is unavoidable, use only a recommended insecticide with a short pre-harvest interval and follow the label exactly, but prefer to net and harvest clean. Confirm the pest with your KVK and ask for the safest option for a raw eaten leafy crop.
A fine net over the seedling beds solved it for me. The beetles simply could not get in, and I avoided spraying a crop we eat fresh.
Clearing the weeds around my beds made a big difference. The flea beetles were living in the weeds and hopping onto the greens.
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