Dealing with Bugs In Tomato Plants

There is nothing more rewarding than growing your own fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes are no exception. Tomato plants however are prone to pests. Keeping your tomato plants strong and healthy means protecting them against the most common tomato pests.

Types of Tomato Plant Bugs

White Flies

If you see a sticky residue on your tomatoes this can be a sign of white flies, who love tomato juice. These tiny insects feed on plant juices and leave behind a sticky residue which causes mold to develop – this can ultimately claim the whole plant. These villains are almost immune to insecticides and therefore rarely work on them.

The best bet is horticultural oil which is rubbed on them and it smothers the insect. Hosing the plants down with a good bug-blaster hose nozzle can also help a great deal. Another tactic is to release natural predators such as ladybugs, lacewings, or whitefly parasites to get rid of the whiteflies.

Aphids

You will see clusters of these tiny bugs on the stems or new growth of your tomatoes. They are the next tomato pest-threat to look out. Using a plant food like Miracle Gro will prevent diseases such as this from attacking your new plants.

The best way to get rid of them is to remove the infected plant parts and throw them in the bin. Once again, ladybugs and lacewings can do a great deal of good against aphids if it doesn't, go for the insecticidal soap or organic sprays.

Cutworms

Quite common on young tomato plants are cutworms – cutworms are little caterpillars that feed on the saplings of young tomato plants.

Prevent damage by placing collars made out of paper, cardboard or even aluminum foil. Sink the collars about an inch into the soil around individual seedlings.

Hornworms

The biggest tomato pests are hornworms, and also the easiest to deal with if you can spot them. These caterpillars are so big (three inches long or more) but their green colour provides excellent camouflage and the nymph and larval stages are less obvious to find.

If you see them on your plants, simply pick them and discard them. If there are more than a few, the use of Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, an organic treatment that can control numerous other problems as well.

Flea Beetles

One of the two most damaging and dangerous of tomato pests with the other being Nematodes is the Flea Beetle. Flea Beetles are voracious in eating tomato plants, and will eat the leaves, stems and even the roots. They are very difficult to spot as they are tiny and fast moving. They cause scores of small holes in the leaves which is quite distinctive. Low covers will help protect your younger more vulnerable plants and yellow sticky traps can help to curb numbers.

Dusting plants with diatomaceous earth helps control adults feeding on foliage.

Introducing nematodes into the soil is the best way to treat this infestation as the nematodes feed on the larvae and pupae. If the situation gets out o control, it's best to use insecticides designed for this purpose.

Red Spider Mite

Just like ordinary spiders these spiders have a one-piece body and eight legs. They are flightless. Infestations on the plants can be noticed with small spider webs formed on the plant or white speckling on the leaf surface. As they attack the leaves, they turn brown, wither and die. Since spider mites thrive in hot and dry conditions, just spray the plants with a fine mist of water twice a day. Insecticides like derris or pyrethrum can also be used on the upper and lower sides of the leaf every 5 – 7 days.

There are many more pests that invade tomato plants and crops. Prevention is always better than cure therefore check your plants regularly – every part of it – the leaves, stems and fruits and take action as soon as you see a sign of infestation.