It looks like {{gwi:47749}}, a pretty common pest. It looks like you might have those seedlings outside for hardening off? If so, those flea beetles were just hanging around, waiting for lunch.

Here are some recommendations for their control. You can find other suggestions if you Google "flea beetle control".

It looks like the best control for them on very young seedlings is covering the plants once you've managed to get them off the plants with some kind of insecticide and while the seedlings haven't started to stretch their legs.

FWIW, I always seem to get flea beetle damage on the first plants I put out, though their preferred meals are in the crucifer family. But they aren't picky -- they'll go for almost any vegetable if they can't get broccoli or chard!

With seedlings as young as yours, I'd work quickly so no more damage occurs.

It does look like flea beetle damage. Another person is reporting seeing flea beetles swarm their cucumber seedlings at dusk. Can you check your plants as the sun goes down and see if you see a large number of very small, jumping, black beetles? If you do see them, please post again here!

Thanks,
Bellatrix

Hi littleonefb - I'm that other person - seeing the same damage as you. It's definitely flea beetles in my case. Watch closely at dusk and that's when they swarm them. Today I'm going to head out there and spray them again with the tabasco/soap mixture and I have a bowl of apple cider vinegar and water out there in hopes of getting them to swarm that - then I'll attack.

My cukes are suffering... not sure they will survive. Today when I went out there I found a nice yellow legged wasp just sitting on one of the leaves of my pineapple mint surveying the cukes below - I hope it's figured out this is where to dine on flea beetles! I was happy to see it!

I checked the seedlings on Wednesday mid morning, when I first saw the problem. There was nothing flying around them or on them then and they are in full sun.

The seedlings aren't outside to harden off, they where started outside in those containers, that where put inside a plastic bag with drainage holes on the bottom and air vents on the top.
That's how you do wintersowing.

I sowed the seeds on 4/28 and they all germinated between 5/6-5/9 and where fine until yesterday.

I checked the seedlings again around 1pm and again there was nothing on them or around them or flying around in the air.

I checked them around 4pm and still the same. Hubby and I checked them again around 7pm on Wed. and again found nothing at all.

Thursday's check was difficult, cloudy, raw and damp. Every time I went outside to check on them, it started to spit rain. Did get to check them several times and still nothing to find on them.

I've been sowing cuke seeds like this, along with dozens of tomatoes, snow peas, zuchinni, peppers for more than 4 years and have never had a problem like this before.

NDVWEB can you post that spray info, measurements etc, I'd like to give it a try before it's too late.

I don't use any type of pesticides in my gardens, so that would be a great help.

Fran

here's everything I'm doing though it's still hard to tell if it will save them...
I've put out a bowl of half apple cider vinegar and half water - that seems to tempt these beetles in for a dip where they die. I've cuaght about 30 this way in a day.

The rest of the remedies require using directly on the bugs when you see them..

Make this and spray directly on pests when you see them
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
1/8 teaspoon liquid soap

The book mentions to test that on a single leaf before you go using - I have not had my cukes respond badly but it's a good idea.

All of this is coming from Sharon Lovejoy's 'Trowel and Error' btw which I love.

oh and what kind of soil did you use for the your seedlings? Bagged? I'm wondering if the batch I got had these guys gestating within it.

Good luck!

Fanfortony mentioned using tulle fabric as a row cover. Scroll down; there's a great picture of the tulle set-up. I thought it was an excellent idea that you could use to combat your flea beetles. You can also find the post w/picture in my clippings. Again scroll down (beyond other pictures).

Here is a link that might be useful: tulle row cover

oh I like that idea ppod!!! thank you!

Well, so far there has been no swarming of any kind of insect around the cukes.

I moved them to a spot all by themselves early this morning and have yet to find any kind of insect on, near or around them.

I didn't try the spray mix yet, but did put out 2 small bowls of 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water.

I checked at 7pm my time and there was no swarming of any insects and nothing in the vinegar/water solution.

I just checked again at a few minutes before 8pm my time and still nothing in the vinegar/water solution and nothing swarming around the cuke seedlings.

They are beginning to put out their first set of true leaves, can just see the start of them on most of the seedlings.

There is one new germinated bush champion seedling that still has part of the seed on it and those brand new leaves have the same on them as the other ones that have already germinated.

Franl

littleonefb I had something happen to my cucumbers too.
Looks similiar to yours. I put 2 cucumber seedling out. Next day it had tiny and big holes in it and dried up and died.
No idea! I put another seedling in the same spot and the next morning it suffered the same thing. I have no idea! I might not be growing cucumbers. I never had this problem before.

So guys here think its some kind of beetle? I Never seen anyone. There pesky little critters if they are. Hiding somewhere!

I have not seen flea eating cucubmbers, but I have seen a lot of flies eating eggplants. The one that I am talking about are just like common flies but smaller. I have heard (here on GW) that coffee grounds repell them. Then I made my crude recepie: Coffee(beverage), Toabasco sause, tobacco tea plus some water. Mix them all up, filter (no to clogg your sprayer) sparay your plants, that bugs, rabits, rats, fleas, ... eat. (You may want to add some rosemary, thyme, marjoram tea to your spray soluton as well. All those herbs have the essential oils that are insect repellant.)
I found my formula to be more effective on rabbits. After rabbits eating half of my peas and carrot tops, I started spraying. Befor that it was raining all the time , so I couldn't do it. Anyway, no more rabbit and insect damage lately.

Cyrus - while flea beetles may look like flies to you, they are not flies. They are a small type of beetle. The only fly that I can think of that damages eggplant leaves are white flies.

I forgot about the coffee grounds idea - thanks for bringing it up! For any organic growers reading this, you may want to leave out the tobacco tea (ie concentrated nicotine) as it is considered to be a broad-spectrum, non-organic insecticide (from what I've read), not a deterrent like the other ingredients.

Bellatrix

My cucumber and zuchini plants look the same! We have spotted tiny black bugs that look like a speck of dirt, when you put your finger near them, they jump off. My husband says that they are not shiny like flea beetles and that their back end is too wide as well.

I am spotting these bugs throughout the garden, the damage seems to be greatest on the cucumbers and zuchini. I have also spotted them on the beans, peas, swiss chard, radishes, and lettuce.

Can't seem to find anything on the internet nor in my books.