[hogwarden]

  I have white bug eggs/larvae on the back of my Chard and Perp. Spinach.
They are about 0.7mm. long and like a long thin oval using a x10magnifier!-and cling like the devil. Tried a pic. but on limit of camera range and also file too big..-so can anybody have a stab at what I`m up against here please-thanks

-found them on the beetroot leaves too now-I detect a plant theme here...?

[Salmo]

They are almost certainly the eggs of beet leaf miner. When the eggs hatch the maggots burrow into the leaves and live between the layers of the leaf forming blisters. If you look at the blisters you can see and feel the maggots. It is confined to red beet, chard, perpetual spinach and other beets. Beet and chard are different forms of the same plant. I do not think it lives on other spinach crops but do not take my word for that.

It is likely that most of them will not hatch, depending on the weather. The blisters will obviously make chard leaves inedible but unless there are 4/5 blisters on a small plant long term damage is unlikely.

After a few days the maggots leave the leaf and pupate in the soil. There will probably be a second generation in August by which time the plants will be to big for any damage to be done.

If you need to control them you can squidge the individuals. It is no good using a contact insectacide as the maggots are protected within the leaf. A systemic will do the job but I do not know if it is approved on the labels of any. Certainly Provado Utlimate bug killer is not approved for beet.

[hogwarden]

  What an Heroic answer..!
Ticks all the boxes and solves the leaf blister too which I had assumed was sun scorch when watering etc.
Just need to find a control solution- many thanks-H
 

[Aunt Sally]

They are almost certainly the eggs of beet leaf miner.

I've found this picture of beet leaf miner on www.grow-it-organically.com

[hogwarden]

Yes that`s the horrid beast and having done a bit of searching given the initial`heads up` I can see I`m not alone with this menace and we`ve been here before!.
OK beetroot you can take on the chin a bit as the leaves are sometimes eaten as salad when small but the spinaches are more of a maincrop and I don`t see any real control for this bug other than an eviromesh thingys and the bug pupates in the ground-i.e.inside your protection!

[shokkyy]

Good lord, obsessive/compulsive little blighters, aren't they. That's the most neatly organised cluster of eggs I've ever seen.