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The culprit is the flea beetle, which, like its namesake, jumps away when disturbed. The small, shiny, black, brown or blue beetles emerge in April and May, after winter hibernation, ready to start feeding. Eggs laid near host plants hatch in late

Of the leaf beetle family, flea beetles are small, jumping insects, which feed mainly on root vegetable crops and brassicas.

AphidsBay leaf suckersFlea beetleRosemary leaf beetle

Pollen beetleFlea beetleRosemary leaf beetleWoolly aphids

.a range of ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, herbs, some vegetables, fruitspring, summerMore common garden pestsAphidsScale insectsFlea beetleEarwigs

potatoes and shallots as they matureSow swedes and cover with fleece to prevent seedlings being attacked by flea beetleSow seeds of vegetables, including beetroot, cabbage, endive, kohl rabi, lettuce, radish, rocket, spinach and turnips

-autumn.Treat the lawn with an insecticide containing imidacloprid from May to October.lawns, strawberries, brassicas, some ornamental plantsspring to autumnMore common garden pestsPea and bean weevilsCaterpillarsFlea beetleEarwigs

Tiny sap-sucking scale insects. They are 1-6mm long, and their whitish, grey-brown shells are covered by protective, waxy scales. The insects don't cause too much damage unless they are present in huge numbers, but some excrete an unsightly, sticky

Jekka McVicar's 10 companion plantsJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for growing as companion plants.Companion planting

March - September10 minutes to sowharvest April - NovemberUse a line to mark out the row. Sowing in a straight line allows you to identify where your rocket seedlings are and which are the weed seedlings to pick off. You'll find a row 1m - 2m long is enough to get