Canola growers are checking early germinating crops for flea beetles, which can become more active under higher temperatures.

“There are patches that are pretty bad out there and there are areas that areas that are really good, where the seed treatments are more than enough to control them,” said Ian Epp, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada. “I think the key is to go out and scout on regular basis.”

Epp says spraying should not take place until there is 25 percent defoliation in parts of the field.

“Seeing some nibbling in your field is fine. That means your seed treatments are working and those flea beetles are dying” Epp said. “Sometimes you can get away with just spraying the headlands or patch spraying a little bit.”

Flea beetles quite often will overwinter in hedgerows or edges of fields and Epp says that may be the only areas that need to be sprayed.

More detail information of flea beetle treatments can be found here.

(CJWW)