TC Reader Question: Help! Insects are Killing my Tomato Plants
By Kira Hamman
“Can you help us identify this bug that is killing our tomato plants? It is very tiny, white, multi-legged (maybe 6 legs - too small to determine), goes in and hollows out the root and stem of the tomato plants.”
This is tricky without a photo. Tiny white bugs that attack tomatoes include whiteflies and aphids (which come in virtually every color of the rainbow), although neither of those matches your description perfectly.
Whiteflies are generally found around the flowers of tomato plants, so if you’re seeing these guys on the roots and stem, it’s probably not them. However, whiteflies also transmit a number of tomato viruses, which could affect roots and/or stems, so maybe that’s what’s happening.To get rid of whiteflies, spray vigorously with the hose. If that doesn’t work, try the soap solution mentioned Organic Tomato Pest Control 101.
Aphids attach to the stem of a plant and suck it dry, which may look from the outside like hollowing out. If you have aphids, be sure you’re encouraging beneficial insects that like to eat them, like ladybugs and spiders. Also be sure to discourage ants, which “farm” aphids and protect them from their natural predators. The soap solution treatment will work on aphids, too.
Finally, this is the perfect chance to mention one of my favorite web sites, What’s That Bug? Type a description of your pest into their search field and be rewarded with a list of photos and descriptions. Or just surf the cool pics for fun!
August 25th, 2008 at 1:07 am
The ‘What’s That Bug Site’ is an interesting one to be introduced to.
I wish I didn’t have to steel myself so much when looking through it though. It’s not what individual photos contain - but the worry of what might come next!
Lucy Corrander
August 26th, 2008 at 4:47 am
That aphid photo just makes me want to start squishing the little buggers… ggggrrrr…