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Background

Adult pollen beetles (Brassicogethes spp.) are occasional pests of cauliflower and broccoli. The adult beetles feed on the curds or florets causing physical damage. This type of damage usually occurs in mid-summer when new adults emerge from oil seed rape crops and move into other areas to feed. They are also often found in flowers at this time. These new adults feed for a period of time and then seek hibernation sites, for example in leaf litter at the base of hedges. They overwinter as adults and emerge from hibernation in spring, when they can again be seen feeding on flowers such as dandelions. They then move to suitable host plants such as oil seed rape to lay eggs. Once hatched, the larvae feed on flower buds and then drop to the soil to pupate, from which the new generation of adults emerges.

Location	Estimated start of pollen beetle migration into edible brassica crops
Cornwall - Hayle	16 Jun
Kent - Sandwich	13 Jun
Suffolk - Ipswich	14 Jun
ÌÇÐÄTV, Wellesbourne	17 Jun
Norfolk, Norwich	25 Jun
Lincolnshire - Holbeach	23 Jun
Nottingham - Stubton	18 Jun
Lancashire, Southport	23 Jun
Yorkshire, York	28 Jun
Perthshire, Scotland	5 Jul