White worms

jwr6404 · March 7, 2008

A gardner friend in Hong Kong,to whom I've sent many tomato seeds has been seeing little white worms inside her ripe tomatoes. Anyone out there in Tomatoville have any idea what they might be and how to eliminate them?

cosmicgardener · March 7, 2008

Sounds very much like the larvae of fruit fly. Hong Kong gets a similar one to those that infest North Queensland and other hot climate growers. They are 'seasonal' to a point, maybe they are being grown in the hottest part of the year which is when infestation occurs.

Raymondo · March 8, 2008

If they are fruit fly larvae, elimination is not possible. The most effective control is exclusion - put bags over the fruit trusses.

You can also use baits to lure the fly and kill it. Baiting only reduces their numbers. It doesn't eliminate them. A recently released bait that is very effective against the fruit fly in my region, the Queensland Fruit Fly Bactrocera tryoni, is called eco naturalure made by Organic Crop Protectants.

March 7, 2008	#1
jwr6404 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: University Place, WA Posts: 481	White worms A gardner friend in Hong Kong,to whom I've sent many tomato seeds has been seeing little white worms inside her ripe tomatoes. Anyone out there in Tomatoville have any idea what they might be and how to eliminate them? __________________ Jim

March 7, 2008	#2
cosmicgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tasmania, Australia Posts: 407	Sounds very much like the larvae of fruit fly. Hong Kong gets a similar one to those that infest North Queensland and other hot climate growers. They are 'seasonal' to a point, maybe they are being grown in the hottest part of the year which is when infestation occurs. __________________ http://cosmicgardening.blogspot.com

March 8, 2008	#3
Raymondo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Saumarez Ponds, NSW, Australia Posts: 946	If they are fruit fly larvae, elimination is not possible. The most effective control is exclusion - put bags over the fruit trusses. You can also use baits to lure the fly and kill it. Baiting only reduces their numbers. It doesn't eliminate them. A recently released bait that is very effective against the fruit fly in my region, the Queensland Fruit Fly Bactrocera tryoni, is called eco naturalure made by Organic Crop Protectants. __________________ Ray Last edited by Raymondo; March 8, 2008 at 06:22 AM.