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flying bugs eating leaves in my garden
Sorry if this has been posted before but I am new to gardening and don't know how to handle these little pests.
We live in the midwest and the leaves of our brussell sprouts and peppers have holes in them from a what we think is a tiny flying insect. I noticed the insects the other day flying and landing on the leaves and now most of the plants look like swiss cheese. The insects are a bit smaller than a ladybug and have a striped back (black and red I believe).
My brother told me to use Seven Dust but we have dogs and a three-year-old, and although our garden is fenced I am trying to avoid using strong chemicals. He said he went to an organic garden center and they told him to use Seven Dust because it is the most effective and it is much less harmful than the chemicals used on produce from a grocery store. I am hoping there is another way.
Are there any natural solutions to use for flying insects that eat the leaves throughout the garden?
Re: flying bugs eating leaves in my garden
Could it be a japanese beetle?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_beetle
Personally, I would not use Seven Dust unless you HAVE to (meaning the crops are getting ridiculously devastated...not just a few holes on each leaves). Control for japanese beetles includes, handpicking (in the AM they are sluggish), milky spore (kills the grubs. this is a more long-term thing) and using organic treatments.
Usually, I just wait out the season. Around here they only much for a distinct amount of time and they never do enough damage to fully kill the plant; they just make it a bit unslightly for awhile.
I don't think Sevin is food safe--meaning if you put it on your plants, you can't eat the fruit. Kind of negates the point of growing your own.
There are oils you can use (?Neem); I would google "organic pest repellant" or "food safe insect repellant" and see what you find.
What the HELL kind of organic garden center would tell someone that Sevin is "much less harmful than the chemicals used on produce from a grocery store"?? Whoever said that is an IDIOT. Sevin is carbaryl and carbaryl is toxic. It is also a known carcinogen (as defined by the EPA). Please don't go throwing Sevin dust on your crops just because you see some holes.
Before you do anything, you should positively identify what is causing the holes. It isn't Japanese Beetles. It's too early for Japanese Beetles in the midwest, number one; and number two Japanese Beetles don't cause the kind of damage you describe. They don't make swiss cheese holes in leaves. They do cause holes in flower petals, but on leaves they cause skeletonization. Plus, you'd would SEE Japanese Beetles feeding because they are only active during daylight hours and seldom stir during active feeding.
Here's some reading material about organic pesticides:
http://www.aaes.auburn.edu/comm/pubs/highlightsonline/fall96/cabbage.htm
http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenproblems/a/OrganicPesticid.htm
http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/organic_pest_control_and_pesticide