How to spot it

Tiny shiny beetles, black, bronze, or striped, about 1/16 inch long, that jump like fleas when you come near.

What it does

They chew many small round "shot holes" in leaves. Seedlings can be stunted or killed. Eggplant, radishes, and arugula suffer most.

What to do now

• Spray kaolin clay, neem, or spinosad on seedlings.
• Yellow sticky cards catch many adults.
• Keep plants watered and growing fast; bigger plants outgrow the damage.

Keep it away next time

• Cover seedlings with row cover right after planting, and seal the edges with soil.
• Set out sturdy transplants instead of sowing seed.
• Grow a trap crop of radishes or mustard a few feet away.
• Clear weeds and debris where the adults spend the winter.

Helpful supplies

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Plants it affects

Every plant in the cabbage family (brassicas).