Bugs on the tomatoes

I am new to this website, but have been lurking and reading for several days. I have already learned so much. Thank you! I also truly appreciate the way you all interact with each other. It sounds like many of you are old friends. ( smile)

I am learning my way around the site a little but have a question about formatting - and another question about gardening. I have noticed where some people have put their first names in parentheses (btw, my name is Patti) and also the zone that they are located in. I don't know how to do this...call me dumb – or just computer challenged. LOL If someone could tell me how to do that, I would be so grateful.

My gardening question: I have three tomato plants and there something on them. In fact, it looks like several somethings. I've attached a picture. Any ideas? Would BT work for this issue? Over the course of my life I stuck a few flowers in the ground, but that's pretty much it. I do try to grow my plants as organically as possible. However, I certainly wouldn't call myself organic. LOL

well, duh. I just realized I posted to the wrong forum. I'm sorry.

I see little tiny bugs with legs. Sort of along the lines of aphids, or similar shape.

BT is specific to caterpillars, and only caterpillars.

I am here to learn. BT equals caterpillars. Thank you!

Minor note... BT also affects mosquito larvae, and, apparently, some other fly larvae.

Thank you Altagardener. We have certainly had our share of mosquitoes this year. Nasty little things.

The original organism is Bacillus thuringiensis.
There are different strains that will attack mosquitoes.

B.t. kurstaki is the caterpillar type.

B.t. israelensis is the mosquito type.

There seem to be others.

They are usually clearly marked for caterpillars or mosquitoes.

Dipel is one brand name of the caterpillar type.

Mosquito Dunks is one form of the mosquito type.

This message was edited Jun 24, 2015 3:37 PM

I would mist the plants with a solution of dish washing liquid soap and warm water. 2-3 drips of soap to half pint of water would be enough, mist this mixture onto the plants AND mist the underside of the leaves too. dont do this on a hot sunny part of the day as the soap lays longer on the plant than ordinary water, this can cause marking on the foliage.

IF any of the grubs are large enough to handle, pick them off and crush them between finger and thumb, it's faster.
The soap in the water has a tiny amount of oil in it and this sticks to the insects hindering their breading cycle, BUT you will have to do this maybe 2 times per week. once you get an infestation it normal for the breading to continue untill there are very few bugs left.

There are other things you can buy from the garden store BUT, to be honest, I would NOT be tempted to use any chemical bug killers near any food plants for safety reasons.
Hope this helps you out a little and you get the bugs under control.
Good luck and best Regards.
WeeNel.

I bought a package of mosquito dunks today. Little did I know. LOL

Thank you both for your responses. I'm normally out in the garden by 6 AM. That sounds like the perfect time to give the little darlings a shower.

WeeNel, I buy organic, non-GMO, if I can. Had I thought about getting into gardening earlier this year, I would've tried heirloom seeds. No chemicals if I can possibly avoid it. I will be picking my first tomato in the morning. I'm excited!

Thanks again.

Glad you are enjoying your gardening season, I also garden without using chemicals, BUT I do like to tell anyone else they are available IF all else fails. everyone should be aware of all alternatives I guess.
I have to admit, gardening the organic way is actually more prone to bugs until you get ahead of the bugs by knowing the months, seasons or temps the bugs are around. Knowing which plants get attached by what bugs helps too, learning what you can use as a decoy for the bugs is great too, like Garlic growing beside carrots hide the aroma of the tops /green of the carrots therefore keeping the carrot flies away, these flies only go to carrots and bury into the carrots so the larva feeds and hatches to go to the next carrots planted as late crops. greenfly and other aphids like many different plants so planting garlic, making a tea with the crushed cloves and watered onto the plants also helps, these are just a few ways to work organic, but there are as many ways to help prevent the use of chemicals as there are chemicals,
I hope everything works out well for you, there will be times when you feel the bugs are beating you BUT dont give up, just be very watchful, take action as soon as you THINK a problem is on the way, but most of all, try to be relaxed, gardening is supposed to be a relaxing hobby NOT a fast route to a nervous breakdown LOL and have fun,

Kindest regards,
WeeNel.

I sliced my first home grown tomato earlier today. This was after I had gone over all three plants very closely looking for worms and other critters. That tomato was delicious!

I wonder if the reason I haven't gotten into gardening prior to now is this. From the day I moved in (1997), I have been fighting my next-door neighbors' Ivy. Every year, I have to go to his home and ask him to please get his Ivy under control.

Last year was a pretty strange year for me. My step dad passed away the prior year and care of mom fell on me. In short order, I started losing weight, couldn't sleep, was very emotional (and irritable), and had the shakes so badly, there were days I could not read my own writing. I kept thinking I needed to see a doctor. What finally got me off my duff was when I lost 14 pounds in one week. Three weeks after being diagnosed with graves disease, I fell and broke my hip. I was unable to come home for four weeks. When I did get home I discovered that my kitchen windows were covered over with – Ivy!

I weighed 89 pounds and was using a walker. I saw my neighbor out in the driveway and asked him if he could please pull the Ivy off my house. He informed me he couldn't; my response was well I sure as @/$?##! Couldn't do it. I told him I'd hire someone to do it, but that I would send him the bill. Next thing I knew, he had pulled the Ivy down.

It's a year later almost, and it's taking over the side the side of my house again. This will be where I use chemicals – brush remover. I'm tired of fighting this.

Conversely I like this man. He is a gardener, and a darn good one! I just don't get why it's okay for his plantings to overtake and overrun mine.

I did tell him what I was planning on doing and he said fine. Time will tell.

I decided not to let years of bad experience with Ivy to prevent me from digging in the dirt. (Grin). I do find it relaxing!

Well Tuckersmom, you certainly have NOT had to go looking for problems, they appear to find you Eh !!!!,
I am so sorry to learn of the problem your having with your neighbour. especially IF he calls himself a gardener, he should know that MOST ivy spreads like lightening, IS there NO home committee for your area, or environment agency to give you help via advice or a chat with the neighbour who is in my opinion, NOT allowed to invade the PRIVATE property of the next door neighbour, have a look at you HOUST title deeds to find what your rights are regarding you space and how it's to be maintained as I would imagine the same fore your plot would apply to his.

I'm so happy that you have got your head into gear and decided that you have to get on with life, as tough as that sounds, I know only too well what a whole run of problems, bad health and elderly parental care can do BUT there is light at the end of the tunnel IF you just take stock, explore your options with everything and that includes your neighbour. Just dont go all guns blazing BUT, maybe take a coffee with him and explain your latest health situation (IN SHORT) the IVY that is invading YOUR space and preventing you from enjoying the full use of your garden / yard.
The IVY is an endless task, miss clearing it 1 year, the next year you wont be able to find half your plants, so you need to ask Mr Gardener IF he could put up a barrier that would prevent this thankless task being carried out each year.
You could resort to using weed-killers BUT being inexperienced, you need to really look into this, some killers you cant grow anything in that area for months, some dont work on Ivy as it has oily leaf's, some dont work well at all, others are great BUT my opinion is, they are dangerous to novices, HOWEVER I'm a chemical free gardener BUT over the years, have on some areas HAD to use a chemical so please dont think I'm being anti chemical, I just dont think we should carry on poluting our environment with over use of chemicals when we really are too lazy to get down and weed, NOT all gardeners are lazy BUT believe me, in some instances they really have to re-read the chemical rule book. I have used them myself only as a LAST resort, and hated doing so.

Do remember that the Ivy has an oily substance in it's leaf structure and can shed off any spray used, so best way to go is trample the ivy, i'd whack it with a garden cane by bending down and use the cane to spank the ivy, this breaks and damages the greenery and allows any killers to to be taken up by the plants.
You might have to redo this process a few times before you can see any death by killers BUT be aware, IF uses in a day when there is a SLIGHT breeze, the killer can spread to other plantings close by, also think of wildlife, chemicals don't always go down well with wildlife, even the neighbour wont disappear LOL

Hope all this helps you out a little. you must look after your own health first of all and take it from me, Gardening of any kind does help, it seems to get your mind to empty and only allows the gardening task to be there. My adult daughter calls my garden & greenhouse my sanctuary and while going through a hard patch, it helped me keep sane and put life into perspective, I hope this new venture into your garden gives you the same comfort, cleansing of mind and healthy outdoor life that gave me so many happy gardening years.
Please look after yourself and dont allow stress to get in your way.
Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.

WeeNel, Thank you for your post. I have really been enjoying puttering around in the yard and digging in the dirt. You are right; it does clear the mind.

Thank you for the in-depth discussion about the Ivy and the chemicals. You gave me a lot to think about. I went down and talked to a local nursery who did suggest brush killer. I really don't think I'll be able to plant anything there until next summer anyway. I want to put Pea Gravel and some stepping stones around my raised bed this month.

Also, I will be having a 2 1/2 story tree removed in 6 to 8 weeks. That will necessitate changes in the landscape. This tree is on the far side of the driveway and shades a fairly small area next to the house I am already in the process of putting together a wish list for that area. It will be in full sun, on the south side of the house, bordered by a driveway and a cement sidewalk on each end. The only thing I know for sure is that I want a Smokebush which I can train into a Smoketree. I am truly enjoying the creativity this is taking.
Thank you again for your help.