The types of animals that can devastate your eggplant crops are the usual suspects like rabbits, squirrels, deer, rats and raccoons. We’ll investigate all these suspects in depth below, including methods for preventing them from striking again.
What keeps eating my eggplant?
Eggplant is a favorite host of multiple species of flea beetles, which are mostly in the genus Epitrix. Flea beetles have chewing mouthparts and feed on leaves, making small, shot-like holes. Their damage is most serious when the plants are small and have just a few leaves.
Can squirrels eat eggplant?
Squirrels sometimes eat part of a tomato and leave the rest behind; other times, they eat the entire fruit. Other squirrel favorites include beans, squash, cucumbers, and eggplants.
What is the major pest of eggplant?
eggplant flea beetle
Eggplant – a solanaceous crop – has some of the same pests as pepper, potato, and tomato. The eggplant flea beetle and the eggplant lace bug are common pests, but twospotted spider mites can be more damaging.
What animal eats eggplant fruit?
The types of animals that can devastate your eggplant crops are the usual suspects like rabbits, squirrels, deer, rats and raccoons.
Do chipmunks eat eggplants?
Damn chipmunks have eaten my decent sized eggplants from my garden. I am so pissed since they were growing nice. The garden is fenced in but near woods so its hard to control the chipmunks as they run through the fence holes. There has to be an ultimate way to keep these pests at bay.
How do you keep squirrels from eating your fruit?
Common squirrel deterrents for fruit trees include Ro-Pel, capsaicin, or hot pepper oil, and sticky topical applications for trunks and limbs. A simple metal collar 2 feet (0.5 m.) wide around the trunk of a tree prevents entry to the canopy of the fruit tree too.
Do Woodchucks eat eggplant?
Fruits: apples, berries, grapes, melons, peaches, pears, plums. Vegetables: asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant lettuce, mushrooms, peas, peppers, potatoes, spinach squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips zucchini.
How do you protect eggplant from insects naturally?
Plant white sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) around your eggplants. These beneficial bugs have a liking for this type of plant and in no time, they will be plenty in your garden.
Should I prune my eggplants?
ANSWER: Eggplants, like fellow nightshade family member tomatoes benefit from staking and pruning. In fact, eggplant actually produces more fruit when pruned. Pruning eggplant can also improve the fruit quality of the plant, and decrease the plant’s susceptibility to disease.
How do I keep bugs from eating my eggplant?
Hosing off your eggplant with a strong blast from your garden hose can help control small flea beetle populations. Prevent the pests from even reaching your eggplants by covering seedlings and young plants with floating row covers.
What is putting holes in my eggplant?
The tiny holes are likely due to flea beetles. Flea beetles are the most common pest of eggplant in the home garden. Adults are tiny, shiny, black beetles. They possess large hind legs that enable them to jump.
How do you control eggplant fruit and shoot borer?
Control and Management:
Monitor the area regularly. Remove damaged and infested shoots and fruits and dispose properly. Use of attractant or pheromone lure to suppress male population. Spray botanical insecticides such as neem, hot pepper and kakawate extracts.
Do rabbits eat eggplants?
The eggplant’s leaves and tops are especially poisonous and should not be given to a rabbit to eat. However, rabbits can eat very small portions of eggplant. You can feed your rabbit slivers of raw eggplant, but not dried or cooked eggplant.
Do rabbits eat eggplant plants?
Yes, rabbits can eat eggplant – but be careful not to feed any part of the plant itself! Don’t feed them leaves, stems, or roots. However, they can eat the vegetable itself as an occasional treat.
How do I keep flea beetles off my eggplant?
For eggplant, drape the row cover over hoops – don’t let the material lay directly on plants. Spray a product like “Surround”, which are repellents made from kaolin clay mixed with water. They create a particle barrier after drying that inhibits flea beetles and greatly reduces feeding.
How do you protect eggplant?
AGRONOMIC MEASURES TO PROTECT EGGPLANT FROM DISEASES
Plant only healthy eggplant seedlings with no signs of pests or diseases. Avoid overgrowing plants and excessive fertilization, especially with nitrogen.
Do coffee grounds deter flea beetles?
Coffee grounds are a good repellent for flea beetles, but to get rid of them, the best and most effective option is diatomaceous earth, which will dehydrate the pests on contact.
What is a natural way to get rid of flea beetles?
How to Get Rid of Flea Beetles
- Try this homemade spray to control flea beetles: 2 cups isopropyl alcohol, 5 cups water, and 1 tablespoon liquid soap.
- Dusting leaves with plain talcum powder repels flea beetles on tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and other plants.
- Use white sticky traps to capture flea beetles as they jump.
Will coffee grounds keep chipmunks away?
While we love the taste and smell of coffee, most animals can’t stand its smell, including chipmunks. This is why coffee grounds can make an excellent barrier to keep chipmunks away. All you have to do is sprinkle them on the ground, and they can help deter these rodents.
What animal is eating my plants at night?
Wildlife that feed at night include rabbits, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, voles, woodchucks, groundhogs, and skunks. They do a lot of damage.