Holes in arugula and radish leaves? These are flea beetles.

The 'lace rocket' can have a certain artistic sense, but on the plate it is a little less chic.

Whose fault is it? The flea beetles.

These little buggers are 1.5-3mm shiny black beetles that almost exclusively attack crucifers and can be extremely effective at munching on everything in no time.

Even on plants that are already quite well developed, flea beetles can cause stress through injuries that can cause the plant to enter 'survival mode' and its growth to be completely inhibited. Flea beetles may also attack newly sprouted seedlings; to tiny seedlings that only have their cotyledons yet (no real leaves yet).

These 'charming' appreciate dry and hot weather. They begin to multiply and suddenly take over the garden when temperatures reach around 20°C night and day... Exactly at the same time when you thought you'd breathe a little after the spring sprint of spring.

Seeing your plants being riddled with small holes by these critters can stir up the fire in us and wish them the worst...

How to get rid of it naturally?

First of all, you should know that they develop when the surface of the soil is dry and that it "crusts" in places, so hoeing, mulching the soil and watering are our friends.

You can spray the plants with water in the morning to disturb the insects. I like to use homemade manure of rhubarb leaves or tomato leaves with a little natural soap to make them even less comfortable. I also like to sprinkle fine ash on the foliage of the attacked plants in order to spoil their meal muhaha!

Once the insects have dissipated, the crops can be protected by covering them with a veil of culture (net with very fine mesh) which is pushed into the ground in order to limit the spaces through which the flea beetles could return to sneak.

Finally, scattering our garden with marigold plants and aromatic plants is always beneficial to help ward off undesirables.