what are these tiny bugs on my tomato plants

sfulwood · October 10, 2012

i have these small reddish/purpleish bugs on my tomato plants near the top of the plants along with even smaller white bugs. i have hit them with neem oil and BT with no apparent impact. what are they and what are recommended controls?

Worth1 · October 10, 2012

Maybe they are flea beetles it is hard to tell from the pictures.

Worth

HiPoha · October 10, 2012

I have aphids and white flies that look like that. Time for sevin.

b54red · October 10, 2012

The little small white ones may be whitflies which are terrible down here right now. Permethrin or Pyrethrin will help, but they multiply very fast.

ginger2778 · October 10, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfulwood

i have these small reddish/purpleish bugs on my tomato plants near the top of the plants along with even smaller white bugs. i have hit them with neem oil and BT with no apparent impact. what are they and what are recommended controls?

In the second picture you also have some green flat looking disk shaped ones. I can say they are consistent with whitefly or aphid instars, that is- stages before mature adult.I also clearly see aphids in the first picture. Neem spray or permethrins would work, but must be about every 4 days, for 4 or 5 applications because there are some of the interim stages of development the neem wont work on , so they are able to mature, where it will work on them again. Make sure to thoroughly douse the undersides of the leaves every time.
Keep diligence and I promise it will work! Then look around the property for the source, since whiteflies don't fly very far ( or crawl), at least not miles far. Aphids are mostly carried by ants.
Ladybugs and lacewings are very effective control too, and neem won't hurt them. Need a large population though.
Here's a good link:http://local.garden.org/Controlling_...emphis_TN.html

-Marsha the whitefly slayer!!!!

sfulwood · October 11, 2012

Thanks for the responses. i hit them with neem oil yesterday and plan to do it every three days til frost. i have ants all over okra planted next to the tomatoes, could that be the source? funny but i self diagnosed as red spider mites with the tinier white things the newly emrged next generation. either way the rx is neem oil

greentiger87 · October 11, 2012

Ants on plants usually mean aphids, which can be a problem on okra.. usually very young okra though. But ants also run around on okra collecting guttation fluid, even if there are no aphids around.

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October 10, 2012	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Maybe they are flea beetles it is hard to tell from the pictures. Worth

October 10, 2012	#3
HiPoha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Hawaii Posts: 130	I have aphids and white flies that look like that. Time for sevin.

October 10, 2012	#4
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	The little small white ones may be whitflies which are terrible down here right now. Permethrin or Pyrethrin will help, but they multiply very fast.

October 11, 2012	#6
sfulwood Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: eastview, tn Posts: 28	Thanks for the responses. i hit them with neem oil yesterday and plan to do it every three days til frost. i have ants all over okra planted next to the tomatoes, could that be the source? funny but i self diagnosed as red spider mites with the tinier white things the newly emrged next generation. either way the rx is neem oil

October 11, 2012	#7
greentiger87 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Houston, TX - 9a Posts: 211	Ants on plants usually mean aphids, which can be a problem on okra.. usually very young okra though. But ants also run around on okra collecting guttation fluid, even if there are no aphids around.