Damage to new small tomatoes - HELP !

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by feldon30

BT is Bacillus Thuringiensis. It's a bacteria that gives caterpillars/worms/etc. chronic indigestion. It's an OMRI organic product available in powder or liquid concentrate form.

You apply it to your tomato fruit and plants as a preventative and reapply it after it rains.

Actually there are few to no actual bacteria in the bottle. What they do is take the crystals that the bacteria produce and that's what's in the prep.

I've noticed that some places say that the bacteria make the xstals inside what's to be killed, but that's never been my understanding at all, and see below.

When the caterpillars, worms, etc, ingest the crystals they polymerize in the stomach wall of the critters making a ring structure with a hole, so the stomach blows up as do the worms. RIP worms.

There are different strains of BT and they have different target populations.THe one used for most worms is BT kurstaki, but as I said there are other BT ones with a different species name that have different targets.

The bottles that contain the prep are usually brown or in some way protected from light b'c sunlight breaks down the xstals. BT bacteria could care less if they're in the light or dark. So being sensitive to light on the plants it doesn't last forever. But it kills quick and is enviromentally safe as well as safe for humans and pets, etc., and that's a real plus as I think we all know.

I think the following link is very useful in explaining the various species of BT. I live where Black FLies are a real problem in the late Spring and summer and helicopters spray large areas in the Adirondacks with BT israeliensis, for example.

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/fea207.html




Hope that helps.

[mysidx]

Thanks Feldon!