A CHRISTMAS dinner staple is under threat this year as a result of pervasive beetles.
The arrival of the insects comes after England enjoyed the hottest summer ever on record.
The warm weather has created perfect conditions for a ‘plague’ of flea beetles that love to feast on the plant.
George Bennett, an organic farmer based in Oxfordshire, told the BBC that his Brussels sprouts crops had been “touch and go” this year as a result of the weather.
The fleas, that tend to attack brassica plants such as cabbage, had bitten through around 70 per cent of the leaves on some of his sprouts, preventing them from photosynthesising.
He said: “This year it’s been so hot and dry, the plants themselves have been so stressed they’ve remained small, and the flea beetles have been attacking them for 12 weeks, rather than the usual three or four.
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As a result, according to Bennett, Brussels sprouts may not grow to their usually big size.
“We have some sprouts but they have remained small, not like the big ones that are much easier to peel for your Christmas dinner,” he said.
Concerns about the growth of plants this summer, especially in the run-up to Christmas, comes as a result of the hot weather over the summer months.
Temperatures soared to highs of over 38C on the hottest day of the year, with five consecutive heatwaves leaving nearly three-quarters of England in drought.
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For sprouts, there are currently no warnings saying they could be off the menu this Christmas, but they may look slightly different this year.