[paddy mac fisto]

These very neat holes are on all the turnips. Is it slug damage? Doesn't look like any slug damage I've had on any of the other plants. I'll put out some beer traps over the weekend anyway. Pity I used up all the homebrew ridding my bloody nasturtiums and sweetpea of the buggers. Have to actually buy beer now...oh deary me...and the Lions are playing tomorrow and everything...

[Liparis]

Turnip flea beetle.
Very devastating in seedling beds of most brassicas, but have a preference for turnip and cauliflower. Damage is done in dry or sunny and dry weather. If attacks happen after the plant has several leaves the plants will usually grow out of it, most damage is done to seedlings, the lot can die if they aren't large enough to sustain an attack, although if the attack is large enough bigger plants will succumb.
Adult flea beetle (so named because it jumps from plant to plant) over winters in debri, especially under hedges, so clear out all leaves and burn in the winter time. Keep all vegitation and dead vegitation to a minimum around the veg plot in the winter.
Chemical control is with Nicotine or Derris or Naphalene. Old fashioned and organic treatment is sprinkling with soot in damp weather or morning dew to coat the leaves also lime or basic slag in a similar manner.

[paddy mac fisto]

Woah, that sounds fairly hardcore! Dunno where i'll get soot. Cheers liparis.

[Sean Ph'lib]

I think, judging by the photos, that those turnips are out of danger now; they should outgrow the damage.

[paddy mac fisto]

I'll be checking on them today, fingers crossed.

[michael brenock]

I am not so sure paddy that this is caused by flea beetle, i would be inclined to attribute the damage to some caterpillar. Search carefully under the leaves and you may find the culprit. I think the slugs are not the culprits neither. Search into the central growing point of the turnip and see if there is any maggot or caterpillar present.
michael brenock

[michelle M]

Some of my turnips look the very same as yours, but it's definately caterpillars- I've found the buggers

[paddy mac fisto]

Examined the turnips rigorously last night and couldn't find any beetles or caterpillars. Pulled a few thinnings up and couldn't see anything around the roots either. The turnips seem to be doing fine despite the attacks though. Had a wander around the plots last evening too and pretty much everyone's turnips seem to have the same kind of damage. No one was around to ask them if they found any little critters though. The intrigue continues.