|
Tomato Pests: A List of the Most Common Tomatoes are popular to grow, but they are sensitive and have a substantial number of pest predators. Below is a list of the most common, including descriptions and methods on how to control and fight them. Aphids These tiny, green to black, soft-bodied tomato pests are most often found clustered on the underside of leaves or on the stems. Both winged and wingless, these sucking insects cause considerable damage, which will result in curled and distorted leaves, with overall stunted plant growth. If you have aphids, you can try hand-picking, blasting them off with water, and pruning. Also, if you’re able to successfully introduce a ladybug population, they can also help fight these tomato pests. However, you’re most likely to see the best results by using an organic pest control product. Blister Beetles At ½ to ¾ inches long, these tomato pests are slender, gray, black or striped. The larvae are the gray version, and they eat grasshopper legs, proving to be somewhat beneficial. However, as adults, they cause a great deal of damage, feasting on the leaves of the plants. They descend on your plants as mature adults, late in the season (between July and August). Once they arrive, they immediately begin eating and breeding, laying 50-300 eggs in the soil, which hatch 10-21 days later. These larvae eat and molt for seven stages before returning to the soil for winter. Handpicking these tomato pests is possible, but only with extreme care. Wear gloves as they release a caustic fluid in self-defense. Again, the use of an organic pest control product is recommended to fight these tomato pests. Tomato Hornworm These 3 to 4-inch-long, green caterpillars have diagonal lines on the sides with a prominent horn on the backend. They typically feast on the foliage but are also known to eat the green fruit. These tomato pests are actually the larvae of two large moths: the Sphinx and the Hawkmoth. They spend winter in the soil during the pupil stage. The adult moths, which make their appearance in late spring, lay single, pearl-colored eggs on the undersides of the leaves. These eggs hatch in about 1 week. Once hatched, the tomato hornworm eats the foliage for about a month before they enter the soil to pupate. Since their coloring camouflages them, they are difficult to find. Try looking on the undersides of leaf-stripped branches. Handpicking them is easy when there are a few. However, if infestation is more severe, which is usually the case since finding them all to destroy is difficult due to their natural coloring, using an organic pest control product is recommended. Stink Bugs There are several species of stink bugs that are tomato pests. The adults are shaped like a shield, and they are brown, green or black. With or without markings, they can be up to 5/8 inches in length and 1/3 inch wide. Nymphs resemble adults with the only difference being smaller size. True to their name, stink bugs emit a foul odor. These tomato pests cause damage by sucking sap from the fruit and the plants. The result is weakened plants with buds and young fruits malformed. You’ll also know you’ve got these tomato pests when you see yellow-white spots under the skin of the ripe fruit, known as cloudy spot. One way to prevent these tomato pests is to control weeds in the area. This will prevent some species of stink bugs. Once you have an infestation, an organic pest control product is necessary. Tomato Fruitworms Also known as Corn Earworm, these tomato pests are green, brown or pink and have light stripes along their sides and on their backs. They are the larvae of various moths and are up to 1 and ¾ inches long. The moths lay their eggs near the stems of the green fruit. Within one week, they hatch and bore into the fruit. Moving from fruit to fruit, these tomato pests continue to cause damage until they fall to the ground where they pupate until the spring. When you find fruit infected, discard the portions that have the tomato pests in them. Be sure to disk or rototill plants immediately after harvest. To combat these tomato pests, use an organic pest control product. Tomato Pests and Organic Pest Control There is effective pest control that is organic and gentle enough to use on tomato plants and other vegetables. They target a wide array of tomato pests, killing them on contact. These products are made of all-natural ingredients that break down naturally into elements that are beneficial to plants and the environment. Look for the OMRI logo on the label, which verifies the product has been certified for use in organic gardens.
Related Articles -
tomato, pests,
|
