If anyone wants to reap the benefits of rape, sai sai, roquet, etc. I suggest the investment in garlic and pepper spray as a natural/organic deterrent and a shade-cover system to send them packing. (They are not a flea at all but are named such for their jumping ability)
These tiny black jumping beetles are chewing lots of small round holes in the leaves of most veggies. The adult beetle can transmit viral and bacterial diseases to some crops and can kill small seedlings. Their larvae attack plant roots weakening the plant. Flea beetles overwinter as adults and emerge very early in spring ready to eat. Use row covers or horticultural cloth as a barrier to keep the beetles off your early crops. As the plants grow larger, simply cover the top to shade them a bit. Flea beetles don’t take kindly to shade. Homemade sprays using garlic or hot pepper will repel flea beetles if used regularly. Interplanting tomatoes with plants in the cabbage family (like collards) will also help to reduce flea beetle populations. (http://www.cdcg.org/pests.html)
[Thanks to Kate Dion for this information]
Hill Street Community Garden 