Beets can be vulnerable to various pests including aphids, beet cyst nematodes, beet leafhoppers, beet webworms, blister beetles, cutworms, European corn borers, flea beetles, leafminers, rove beetles, seed corn maggots, spider mites, and vegetable maggots. Despite the long list, infestations are not common. Prevention and control methods include spraying water, encouraging beneficial insects, dusting with flour or canola oil, using insecticides as a last resort, solarizing the soil, rotating crops, removing weeds and debris, using floating row covers, handpicking larvae and adults, using biological controls such as parasitic wasps, using barriers and traps, and applying diatomaceous earth or neem oil.
