Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Information and discussion regarding garden diseases, insects and other unwelcome critters.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old December 1, 2006   #1
Mantis
Tomatovillian™
 
Mantis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,241
Default Tiny insects in tomato flowers

Hi folks.
I have noticed for some years now that when I try to tap pollen out of flowers in my outside garden I am more likely to get some tiny crawling insects on my pinky than pollen.
I have googled with no response. Has anyone seen this or know what the little buggers might be. I am wondering if they are why I get so few fruit set on my plants in the garden.
I don't notice many of them at all in the greenhouse.
Thanks
Mantis
Mantis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 1, 2006   #2
bizzarbazzar
Tomatovillian™
 
bizzarbazzar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Butte, MT
Posts: 811
Default

any chance you can post a pic ? (sometimes tiny bug pics come out ok in macro setting)
bizzarbazzar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 2, 2006   #3
Mantis
Tomatovillian™
 
Mantis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,241
Default

My camera is not good enough to capture these little fellas. They are about 1mm long.
Mantis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 2, 2006   #4
bizzarbazzar
Tomatovillian™
 
bizzarbazzar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Butte, MT
Posts: 811
Default

Do they look like this? they are teeny tiny? these guys don't fly at this stage in their life (not that I know of)

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EDISImagePa...%2016&credits=

or do your little buggies fly? jump? crawl?

what color are they?

they could be a form of mite, flea beetle etc.

Please, I hope no one thinks I like bugs, but I do have a 4 year old who watches some show called Ms Spiders Sunnypatch (something or other) and the theme there is be good to bugs. So I have been forced to do things either behind his back, or look at them closely (ICK) I may not know what damage they do or can cause, but I have spent quite a bit of time looking at them in detail. Also, I am not certain if we even have the same bugs as you guys over there
bizzarbazzar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 3, 2006   #5
Mantis
Tomatovillian™
 
Mantis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,241
Default

No, not like them. These are little black things that run very quickly over your finger. The next time I find a flower with them in, I will disect the flower to see if they are doing damage.
Mantis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 3, 2006   #6
dcarch
Tomatovillian™
 
dcarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NY
Posts: 2,618
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mantis
My camera is not good enough to capture these little fellas. They are about 1mm long.
You can buy closeup lens attchments (eBay) for your camera. Not expensive. Find out the diameter of you lens and get the correct size.

You can also take O.K. closeup picture by putting a magnifying glass in front of your camera's lens.

dcarch
__________________
tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato
tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato
tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato
dcarch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 3, 2006   #7
carolyn137
Moderator Emeritus
 
carolyn137's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
Default

Mantis, check out thrips which would be my first guess b/c they're known to get into blossoms, and then gnats as well.
__________________
Carolyn
carolyn137 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 22, 2006   #8
Patrina_Pepperina
Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Project™ Moderator
 
Patrina_Pepperina's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 3,094
Default

I also think they are thrips - they often give me a nip when I'm gathering pollen and they land on my hand. They also give my plants spotted wilt virus, grrrrrrrrr They feed on pollen, and often leave the anther cone looking rather brown and rotten.

The best thing I've used are sticky yellow traps - I bought them online a couple years ago but can't remember the name and no longer have the link

PP
__________________
Truth is colourful, not just black and white. PP: 2005
Patrina_Pepperina is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 23, 2006   #9
Mantis
Tomatovillian™
 
Mantis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,241
Default

Thrips they may be , thanks. I gave my outside plants in one area a good dose of derris dust. Getting lots of fruit set on them now.
PP, I have been getting those dried up anther cones as well. Bloody frustrating, and a shame I have to use chemicals to combat it. Got some Grubs Mystery Greens and Gary O'Senas going now thow. Chemical power eh.
Wheres Organic Nut, I feel like some biff oh
Mantis is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:38 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★