Marigold Termites?

[RonnyWil]

I plant Marigolds around a lot of my plants to help control insects. I found one today laying over and cut off at ground level. When I picked it up and looked at the end of the stem there were 4 or 5 termite looking creatures about the diameter of a toothpick and about a quarter inch long chewing on the stem. They are off white with dark marks on or in its abdomen. Anyone have an idea about what they are?

[Suze]

Originally Posted by RonnyWil

I plant Marigolds around a lot of my plants to help control insects.

I make it a point *not* to plant marigolds or cosmos anywhere near my tomatoes because they are known host plants (google it if you're in doubt, don't take my word for it) for thrips, aphids, and spider mites. Especially in warmer/southern climates.

The whole marigold/tomato companion planting thing is an old urban gardening myth mostly based on two things:

(1) The smell. Some folks think the pungent smell translates to yukky for bugs. Doesn't work that way.

(2) Potential for supression of nematodes. First off (in Tn), you probably don't have nematodes, so it's a non issue anyway. But marigolds are really of limited effectiveness in this regard, *and* they have to be tilled in to have any effect.

As for spider mites, I've seen them skeletonize the foliage on a marigold plant to the point of killing it many a time. And no (in my experience), they do not 'draw' the bugs away from the tomatoes, they sure do attact them to the area, though.

Originally Posted by RonnyWil

I found one today laying over and cut off at ground level. When I picked it up and looked at the end of the stem there were 4 or 5 termite looking creatures about the diameter of a toothpick and about a quarter inch long chewing on the stem. They are off white with dark marks on or in its abdomen. Anyone have an idea about what they are?

Not sure what you saw on the stem, but I suspect it may not have been what actually cut it. Probably was a cutworm, slug, cricket, or grasshopper. IME, slugs really love marigolds, and will frequently cut tender little seedlings.