The flea beetle causes a major headache for farmers and it’s not getting any easier. Many farmers have even given up growing oilseed rape because the problem has become so bad.
In April 2018 the use of neonicotinoids outdoors, and seed treated with the chemical was permanently banned in the UK. This ban was put in place to protect bees and other pollinators, however, this marked the beginning of the struggle to control flea beetle.
Farmers are trying to find alternative ways to control the beetle, but this brings with it enormous challenges.
The beetle is active at night, and pesticides that can be used to combat the beetle, only kill those that have come into direct contact with the spray, so they can easily be missed.
For this reason, many farmers have their work cut out for them, and are walking their fields at night, or spraying throughout the night to try and manage this nightmare pest.
To add to the difficulty, many of the CSFB samples taken this year show a 60-80% resistance level among flea beetle to pyrethroids. Spray control can therefore be limited and the impact of spraying pyrethroids on the beneficial insects, compounds the problem further, particularly if spraying at night when beneficial insects are also more likely to be present.
Therefore, many arable farmers find it hugely ironic that neonicotinoids can still legally be used in Eastern Europe, Australia and Canada; countries which export oilseed rape to the UK for processing.
If you are struggling with flea beetle on your farm, take a look at the following article for some tips on how to manage it:
