Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a popular garden vegetable often targeted by various animals and insects. This plant is a member of the nightshade family, which contains glycoalkaloids that can deter some herbivores, yet many pests still find the foliage and fruit palatable. Identifying the specific organism responsible for damage is the first step toward protecting your harvest. This article will detail the most common culprits that consume eggplant, from microscopic mites to larger mammals.
Common Insect Pests of Eggplant
Insects represent the most frequent threat to eggplant health, often causing damage shortly after planting.
Flea beetles are especially attracted to young eggplant seedlings. They create numerous small holes, often described as “shot-hole” damage, which can severely stunt or kill small plants.
Aphids are soft-bodied insects that feed by inserting piercing-sucking mouthparts into the plant tissue. They cluster primarily on the undersides of leaves and new growth, extracting plant sap. They excrete honeydew, a sugary waste product that encourages the growth of black sooty mold that further blocks sunlight.
Spider mites, particularly the two-spotted spider mite, feed on the lower leaf surface. Their feeding causes characteristic yellow or pale stippling on the upper side of the leaves, which can eventually lead to bronzing and leaf drop. Heavy infestations produce fine, silken webbing over the foliage and growing tips.
Hornworms are large caterpillars known for their voracious appetites and ability to rapidly defoliate a plant. They consume entire leaves, often leaving behind only the central leaf veins and stems. Their presence is revealed by large, dark, droppings, known as frass, found on the leaves or the ground below.
Mammals and Birds That Consume Eggplant
Rabbits are common garden pests whose feeding is usually concentrated near the ground, rarely exceeding two feet in height. They possess sharp incisors that leave a clean, angled cut on stems and small plants, making the damage appear neatly clipped. While eggplant leaves contain solanine, rabbits will consume young seedlings or chew on the fruit itself.
Deer browse at a much greater height, typically between one and six feet from the ground. Since deer lack upper incisors, their feeding results in a ragged or torn appearance on stems and foliage, as they must pull and rip the plant material. Deer will consume the leaves and tear off the ripening fruit.
Groundhogs, or woodchucks, are known for their destructive feeding habits, often consuming entire plants or large sections of a row. They are less selective than rabbits and can cause extensive damage to the eggplant foliage. Damage from groundhogs is usually localized to a specific area near their burrow and involves the wholesale disappearance of plants overnight.
Birds primarily target the ripening eggplant fruit. Their damage is characterized by distinct, small peck marks or holes in the skin of the fruit. Birds may be attracted to the fruit for its moisture content, particularly during periods of dry weather.
Determining the Culprit Based on Damage
Carefully examining the location and nature of the damage, along with any physical evidence left behind, helps identify the specific pest.
Damage localized to the underside of leaves, appearing as stippling or webbing, suggests spider mites. If you find numerous pinholes scattered across the leaves, the culprit is the flea beetle.
The height and precision of the cut are key indicators for mammals. A clean, 45-degree angled cut on a stem close to the soil line points directly to a rabbit. In contrast, damage higher up on the plant that looks frayed or torn indicates a deer has been browsing.
Tiny, dark frass on the leaves means a hornworm is feeding nearby. Larger, round droppings near the base of the plant suggest rabbit activity. If the plant itself is intact but the ripening fruit has small, distinct holes or gouges, the damage is likely caused by birds seeking moisture.