Steve Ellis
Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle Adults Emerging from Pupation
Adult cabbage stem flea beetles (CSFB) are likelyto have been emerging from pupation in the soil over the last few weeks. These newly emerged adults will feed briefly in the crop, without having any effect on yield, before entering a resting state known as aestivation (the summer equivalent of hibernation). Where the adults aestivate is not fully understood yet, but it is believed they head for hedgerows and woodlands to shelter under the soil surface or amongst leaf litter. Before they re-locate to their shelter some are likely to go through the combine when the crop is harvested, and adult beetles are often seen in grain trailers and sometimes in stores. Numbers at this stage can give a rough idea of the level of risk next season.
