Journal of NACAA

Using Sticky Traps to Control Flea Beetles on Two Ohio Urban Farms

ISSN 2158-9429

Volume 11, Issue 2 - December 2018

Editor: Linda Chalker-Scott

Abstract

Urban agriculture is on the rise in many communities throughout Ohio. Despite being isolated from traditional agricultural and horticultural production, some common vegetable pests are found in these enterprises at similar or higher levels of infestation compared to nearby diversified commercial farms in rural areas. With most urban farmers averse to pesticide use to manage insects, weeds, and diseases, many only use minimal inputs with a heavy reliance on physical and cultural controls to manage pests. This study looked at the effects of using white and yellow sticky traps to manage flea beetle populations in cruciferous and solanaceous crops at two sites in 2017. Although the sticky traps removed thousands of flea beetles from one site, crop damage was generally high; sticky trap captures of flea beetles and overall crop damage were much lower at the second site.