What's doing the striping?

19 years ago

Broccoli and broccoli only. Something is striping the leaves of my broccoli and I can't figure it out. When I say striping, they are eating all the leave, except for the veins in the leaves, leaving a leaf skeleton.

What ever it might be, it's not hitting any of my other veggies like, pepper, tomatoes, corn, melons, squash, lettuce, etc.

So what can it be??? When I go out to look, I don't see or find anything, so it must be happening at night. I go out in the morning and I'll find some holes in a leaf.. Next morning, holes are in more leaves or a leaf is completely striped!

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Comments (4)

justaguy2
19 years ago
Can you post a pic? That would go a long way to ID of the pest as many pests damage plants in ways easy for those familiar with the pest to ID.

Offhand your use of the term 'leaf skeleton' with only the veins remaining makes me think of Japanese beetles as that kind of damage is characteristic of them.
crabjoe
Original Author
19 years ago
Justaguy,

I can't post a pic because I can't find my digi camera. :(. Normally, I'd agree that it's JB's doing the damage, but I never see them on my broccoli. I do fine them on my corn and fruit trees in large numbers and one here and there on my Maters, but never on my broccoli.
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lilacs_of_may
19 years ago
If they're being skeletonized, it might be flea beetles. They're very, very tiny. You might see them if you look closely, or you might see them jumping around if you disturb the soil. They hop around like fleas, hence the name.
Violet_Z6
19 years ago
Go to the link at the end of this post to identify the pest based on what effect it has on the plant.

Pest management is complex, if you want to learn, a good place to start is here:

Integrated Pest Management
This lecture is presented in two parts. Each part is 90-minutes in length. Recorded in Sacramento County in California's Sacramento Valley, this lecture is by Mary Louise Flint, Ph.D., Director, IPM Education and Publications, UC Statewide IPM Project and Extension Entomologist & Cooperative Extension Specialist.

Education:
B.S. Plant Science, University of California, Davis
Ph.D. Entomology, University of California, Berkeley

Appointment:
100% Cooperative Extension

Research Interests:
Integrated pest management of landscape, agricultural and garden pests; biological control of arthropod pests; alternatives to pesticides; adoption of alternative practices by practitioners; innovative delivery of pest management information.

Topics discussed in the Integrated Pest Management Lecture:

* IPM references and resources
* Preventing pest problems
* Natural common enemies
* Making less toxic pesticide choices
* Controlling aphids, scales, caterpillars, coddling moths, tree borers, snails and slugs, and lawn insects.

You can watch the programs now online:

Just make sure you have Real Player installed or download it free.

Integrated Pest Management Part 1 90 minutes

Integrated Pest Management Part 2 90 minutes

You'll want to bookmark the following link to Professor Flint's Lab Research on:
Controlling Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Vegetables and Melons

I promise you'll learn one or two things to put in your gardening bag of pest management arsenals.

;)