The Red Headed Flea Beetle is becoming a more prevalent pest in containerized nurseries. Eggs of the beetle are deposited in the soil of pots by the previous year’s adults, and grubs hatch in typically the first week of May in Maryland.

Grubs feed on the roots of plants, but usually cause minimal damage to root systems. Adults emerge from the soil about three weeks later and start feeding on the foliage of a wide variety of crops.

Adult beetles appear between 550-750 GDD, about the same time the orange Soldier Beetles emerge in your area, and also about the same time Itea virginiana goes into bloom. The adult stage of the beetle is the most detrimental to ornamental plants, producing a scarring on the upper surface of the leaf.

This pest can have up to three generations per year which is why it can be so devastating in an ornamental nursery. This beetle has been seen feeding particularly heavy on Itea, Weigela, Forsythia, Buddleia, and some varieties of Hydrangea paniculata.

Looking for control options? Here's a one-page document on red headed flea beetle control!