etznab

The Colorado Potato Beetle loves eggplant. Given its orange eggs, could it be the culprit?

They can overwinter in garden soil, so a row cover won't help if they're already underground.

If that's what the insects are, you might want to try Bt on them. It effectively dispatches them. (Be sure you get the right kind of Bt. The various strains are an organic cure for several destructive insects.) Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis, a naturally occurring bacterial disease, is an effective product ... available to home gardeners.

Just Google the name for online sources of the Bt.

Best guess without a picture is Colorado Potato Beetle eggs since they over-winter in the soil and can easily make it under row covers. Next best guess would be {{gwi:52666}}.

If it is CPB there wouldn't be any leaf damage until the larvae hatch. If you just squish the eggs or strip them off the leaves then you won't have any problems from them. Egg patrols and removal of them is one of the best pest controls there is. ;) And if CPB it is also easy to hand-pick off larvae and they are big enough to see. Unless we are talking about tons of plants, handpicking them plus some tolerance for a bit of damage to the leaves should solve the problem without bringing out the big guns. As an alternative consider using Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) as it is quite effective on the larvae.

SVB eggs are singles and laid on the stem, not the leaves, and are dark brownish-black.

Dave

{{gwi:52667}}

May also be earwig?
The live under covers in ground. Tthe have been eating my okra and some other.

Definitely Colorado Potato Beetle! Stop them now or they'll make mincemeat of your eggplants practically overnight. As Dave mentioned, stripping the eggs off by hand is a pretty effective control strategy.

-Diggity

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Imperative blog