I exhausted every method to get rid of flea beetles with no luck, but this quick hack worked first time – all you need is a piece of card and some Vaseline

Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, designed by Nick Burton and Duncan Hall.

This is the first year with a garden of my own and I've already had to tackle a wide range of pests. The latest to show up on the scene? Flea beetles. They decided to attack my sweet alyssum and have proven to be quite persistent.

I've tried every natural pest control method to get rid of these pests that destroy plants, including sprinkling chili powder to deter them and placing repellent plants nearby. Neither of which seem to bother these tiny, shiny insects. The best way to get rid of flea beetles is to physically remove them, but they have a tendency to jump away when disturbed, making it incredibly hard to remove them for good. That was until I tried using Vaseline to get rid of flea beetles, which immediately trapped them.