Flea Beetles

This Flea Beetle is my new nemesis. They sprang out of the ground with a vicious appetite, destroying several perennials I had in the flower bed in a single afternoon. They seem to attack a single of variety of flower, decimate it, then move on to the next. At first I thought they were Japanese Beetles, but those were supposed to be half and inch long and these were quite a bit smaller. Perhaps they were just a juvenile form? But I researched it further and finally discovered it was a Flea Beetle.

The beetles are black with an irridiscent green color and are only a few millimeters long. They jump just like a flea when you touch them. They are a bigger problem after a very mild winter. Diatamoceous earth added to the soil and on the plants will help get rid of them and prevent them from eating all your plants! I have to do a thorough inspection of the garden to see if they are lurking elsewhere. UGH!