Little black flies

[flying mater]

I was out yesterday checking my plants and I noticed some flea sized black fly bugs. I sprayed them with safe soap. Anybody know what these bugs are? I don't have a huge amount of them and want to keep it that way.

Thanks,

Bill

[bcday]

They might be flea beetles. This link shows what flea beetles look like: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/rhodcv/hort410/8014.jpg

Flea beetle damage is tiny round holes in the leaves. It can be a problem if there are a lot of them.

[flying mater]

Thanks for the reply bcday. Thats not them. These look more like gnats and are mostly on the main trunk and stems. They appear to be sucking the sap. Haven't see any on the leaves.

Thanks again for the reply.

Bill

[bcday]

A good clear closeup photo would help to identify them. Also there are links in the sticky called "Tomato Problem Solver and other helpful links" near the top of the main Diseases and Pests forum page where you might find an insect that looks like the ones on your plants.

If they are aphids, a soapy water spray will take care of them.

[hasshoes]

I had these too. . . I could never pinpoint what they were. . . after googling forever I figured they were some super small gnat or flying aphid or something. Soaps and those organic garlic sprays don't prevent them they just get the current bugs and new ones come right back. Neem works for a couple of days but you have to keep spraying it. Tin foil baking sheets that reflect the sun strongly scared most of them off for me (or drowned them when it rained :0) and Salmon Spray from Coast of Maine completely eradicated them and I've been free of them for three weeks after only one spraying. It's not supposed to be be a bug repeller, but it works wonders!!!!! My only bugs now are spiders :0).

[flying mater]

I think I figured out what it is, its some sort of aphid. since there is a rose plant directly behind the tomato plant that is what it has to be. I don't mind spraying every few days. Gives me something to do and gets me out of the house for awhile. I made some tobacco tea and will try that out as well. See which one works best, the tabacco tea or the safer soap.

Bill

Bill

[Fert1]

Some adult aphids can look like that. Could also be fungus gnats.