The Tomato Suck Bug

[b54red]

I used a mixture of DE in very soapy water with some Permethrin added and had no problems again with them until the rain washed it all off. I think the thin layer of DE gives good residual action and the soap and Permethrin are better in the short term.
I don't seem to have a problem with them until the ladybugs leave so maybe they feed on them like they do aphids or maybe they just become a problem once the really hot weather gets here and that seems to coincide with the ladybugs going elsewhere.

Bill

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Ugggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!! Another pest to look out for as if we don't already have enough.


Thanks for the information. Sometimes it is so amazing how something so little can do so much damage. Does jet spraying them with just soapy water not work like with aphids?


Termato-ites. That is so funny!

It doesn't work. You have to leave them doused in the strong soapy water while sitting in it for it to work. Aphids are soft bodied and the soap sort of ruptures their soft waxy bodies. These are hard bodied with a "crunchy" type of exoskeleton. The way soap works on them is by covering their side body airholes( spiracles) and suffocating them, and jetting them off won't leave the soap there long enough.
To make it worse, the adults just fly away when hit with spray. The nymphs dont have developed wings yet( see photo), so you can easily spray and kill them. Thats why I needed to do successive sprayings every 4 days... To catch hatching nymphs. I saw 2 adults yesterday, and a first stage nymph. It's much better than it was, but they are not totally gone yet. I sprayed my Neem/Soap Spray again this am. I thnk I will start going to once per week now, I dont think new eggs are being laid, not enough adults. So I think the old eggs hatching is slowing down too.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

I tried it, they seem to take it with ease.

I did an inspection on mine yesterday and found smaller (than these tomato bugs) blackish ones sitting on the bend point on lots of my flowers, so instead of trying to figure out friend/foe status I loaded up with DE/Neem and went at them. I'll try to take some pics if they're still around.

Yes, I found the same thing, unfortunately, if you have them one year, the likely source is still present and you are likely going to get them the next year.
Next season for me, I will start preventive spraying while they are in their 4" pots, and continue with the neem every 7 days, unless I actually see some. Then I am going to step it up.

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Yes, I found the same thing, unfortunately, if you have them one year, the likely source is still present and you are likely going to get them the next year.
Next season for me, I will start preventive spraying while they are in their 4" pots, and continue with the neem every 7 days, unless I actually see some. Then I am going to step it up.

Fungus and many other invaders would be staved off with that plan.

Funny thing is at my stairwell-rooftop garden they are nowhere to be seen, and I use nothing there. No neem, no daconil, no bad stuff; so far only spiders saying hello, and they are welcome.

I suspect they are attracted by the citrus blooms at the big garden.

Right now I'm using the garden safe, gonna invest in the dynagro neem so I'm armed for the long run. Which one do you use?

Really want to shed the chemicals.

Does run of the mill mineral oil come into the equation here at all?

[ginger2778]

I don't know about mineral oil, I would be afraid the oil coat would be too strong, and burn the plant even if you spray early or late, because of the thick coating and sunshine.

Neem is excellent for mites of all kinds too.

Here's the neem I used, it was 100% Neem, and very pure and high quality. Agricultural neems are only about 70%. You can actually ingest the stuff, some say there are health benefits. I got the one gallon size because I go through it, 3 tablespoons per fill of my 3 gallon pump sprayer. Free shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neem-Oil-100...-/151116301514

I found out there's an art to spraying these guys. I start at the top of the newest growth, where they hang out, then work down. For fungus and other pests, I always started at the stem base and worked up, but with these guys it warns them and they fly off before getting sprayed.