Something I mentioned in a recent post was the flea beetle. Flea beetles are very small, only about 1/10th on an inch long. The larvae are actually larger, 3/4" long, they're white with brown heads. You know you have a flea beetle problem when you see your leaves are chewed with lots of tiny holes. It looks like the leaf has been shot with tiny buckshot. Flea beetles love eggplant, they also feed on most brassicae (kale, collards, cabbage etc.) Adult beetles over winter in the ground, in spring (as soon as you put in your plants) they'll lay eggs in the soil at the base of the plant. Once they are well established they are very hard to control. Use a floating row cover early to protect your plants. Cultivate the soil around the base of the plant to disturb the flea beetles eggs and larvae. Flea beetles, unlike most insects, feed during the day, and they hate getting wet. Use a hose and spray down your plants in the middle of the day to try and discourage them from feeding.