The striped flea beetle, which sounds like a rock band, are coming which means farmers have to change their control methods because this species is different and must be treated as such. They feed mostly on hot sunny days and attack a wide variety of plants including beans, cabbage, corn, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and most seedlings. The crucifer flea beetle is slowly being replaced by the striped flea beetle because it doesn’t react to the conventional neonicotinoids insecticides. The shift in beetles is due to several causes, but neonicotinoid susceptibility is factor one, although the term neonicotinoid resistance is not used rather it maybe in tolerance to the treatments. The weather conditions of the past few years and earlier seeding dates are contributing factors that favour striped flea beetles over crucifer. Another contributing factor is the striped beetles become active a couple weeks before crucifer beetles after overwintering. There are new registrations from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency within the last two years, such as a Group 4c insecticide with a neonicotinoid Group 4a. Farmers can use a neonic alone, diamide alone or a mixture of the two.
