Aphids

[kilroyscarnival]

I just sprayed the neem oil/soap solution last night. Must not have done such a good job on the otherwise healthy Super Italian Paste tomatoes in the raised bed, because today I noticed one of the plants was just covered with these little green monsters! Gave it a good spray down and it does seem to be killing them.

I Googled for photos of tomato pests, and I'm pretty sure they are aphids.

Saw a recommendation for a garlic oil spray as a repellant. Any opinions on this or alternatives?

I don't see aphids on the other tomato plants in other locations in the yard, and - though admittedly the foliage is so darn dense on the Big Ray's next to the afflicted Super Italian Paste, they don't seem to be on the Big Ray's. Are they that selective? (Spraying well just in case.)

I had mainly been spraying yesterday because some of the other plants (namely, the broad leaves on the haricots vert, and a bit on the snap peas, but also the Wins All-PL, had been pocked with little holes. This I attributed to flea beetles or something I haven't seen.

Yikes! This was a sudden little green army, like an alien invasion.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

I just sprayed the neem oil/soap solution last night. Must not have done such a good job on the otherwise healthy Super Italian Paste tomatoes in the raised bed, because today I noticed one of the plants was just covered with these little green monsters! Gave it a good spray down and it does seem to be killing them.

I Googled for photos of tomato pests, and I'm pretty sure they are aphids.

Saw a recommendation for a garlic oil spray as a repellant. Any opinions on this or alternatives?

I don't see aphids on the other tomato plants in other locations in the yard, and - though admittedly the foliage is so darn dense on the Big Ray's next to the afflicted Super Italian Paste, they don't seem to be on the Big Ray's. Are they that selective? (Spraying well just in case.) Usually talked with little holes means you have worms starting turn the lease over and see if there are any worms there

I had mainly been spraying yesterday because some of the other plants (namely, the broad leaves on the haricots vert, and a bit on the snap peas, but also the Wins All-PL, had been pocked with little holes. This I attributed to flea beetles or something I haven't seen.

Yikes! This was a sudden little green army, like an alien invasion.

Usually pocked with little holes means worms such as hornworms .Try turning the leaves over where the holes are and look for a baby worm,I am betting you will find one. If you can gat some lady UBS your aphid troubles will be over in a few days, but spraying is also good. I am finding that neem makes the new leaves curl under so trying to back off on it.
Maybe this wasn't that helpful.
Marsha

[b54red]

I don't usually have an aphid problem outside in the spring because the ladybugs usually keep them in check. On the other hand I usually try overwintering a few peppers and tomatoes on my enclosed porch and they are a true menace to them. I can kill them one day and the next they are back. The only thing I have found that really takes care of them is Adams flea and tick spray for dogs. It has Permethrin, and IGR, and alcohol in it. I only use it when all else fails but every year all else fails.

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Usually pocked with little holes means worms such as hornworms .Try turning the leaves over where the holes are and look for a baby worm,I am betting you will find one.

Thanks, Marsha, but I haven't found the culprit (worms) yet, that's the frustrating thing. Just the evidence of their dirty work.

On previous advice, I spotted a cheap tank sprayer at Big Lots (actually they have pretty good prices on planting containers too) - $10 - so I bought one. It does a much better job than the trigger spray bottle I'd been using, a finer mist and I can spray upwards on the underside of the leaves. I gave it another good dousing, and did spot some aphids on the Big Ray's Argentina Paste nearby, that I hadn't seen the first time, and later that evening I used the hose to shower off a bunch of dead aphids and I guess larvae. There are still some on it today but they all appear to be dead.

I would like to get some ladybugs. I do see one or two but some reinforcements would be good. However, I just read a piece that said if you buy them, commonly they are trapped in the wild and may bring their own pests and problems.

I hadn't heard of the Adams spray used in the garden, B54Red, will look for it the next time I get to the pet store.

Think I have at least arrested the progress of whatever has been munching my haricot vert leaves and bell pepper leaves, though.

[b54red]

I wouldn't use the flea spray in the garden. I think it would damage the leaves in the sunlight. I only use it very rarely when the aphids get uncontrollable on my porch where the plants don't get direct sunlight or have the advantage of ladybugs.

Since you have a tank sprayer you can mix your own aphid poisons much more cheaply. I usually use a little Permethrin and soapy water for aphids outside if they get too bad; but since I usually have a good supply of ladybugs in the spring I don't use any poison til they move on or can't control the aphid population. Most poisons that will kill aphids will also get rid of many of your ladybugs so you have to decide how bad the problem is.

[kilroyscarnival]

Thanks - well the aphids were back yesterday. Not quite so many, but still. I had some Worry Free dust, which is Pyrethrin based. The shaker top is too big, so I had a bottle of girlie rosé wine I was given for Christmas, wrapped in a little sheer fabric bag. I slipped the bag off the wine and around the shaker, and that gave me a lighter dusting of the stuff. (So a pink gossamer garden tool, who knew?) Looked okay today because the stuff basically stayed in place.

Also noticed one small, unripe fruit of the Big Ray's had a hole bored into it and a rotten part where something had wormed in apparently. It seemed to be the only one. I pulled the fruit off and smashed it with a brick, hopefully with the terminator still in there.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

Thanks - well the aphids were back yesterday. Not quite so many, but still. I had some Worry Free dust, which is Pyrethrin based. The shaker top is too big, so I had a bottle of girlie rosé wine I was given for Christmas, wrapped in a little sheer fabric bag. I slipped the bag off the wine and around the shaker, and that gave me a lighter dusting of the stuff. (So a pink gossamer garden tool, who knew?) Looked okay today because the stuff basically stayed in place.

Also noticed one small, unripe fruit of the Big Ray's had a hole bored into it and a rotten part where something had wormed in apparently. It seemed to be the only one. I pulled the fruit off and smashed it with a brick, hopefully with the terminator still in there.

I hates wormses. I squashes em with my shoeses. They must die.
Marsha

[zenthumbs]

That's my husband's job. I call him my dragon slayer i am terrified of caterpillars

[b54red]

Well my ladybugs haven't shown up so far this year and the aphids are attacking my pepper seedlings with a vengeance. I guess it is the unusually cooler weather we have had this past month. I have been spraying the plants almost daily to keep them under control. I use a mix of permethrin and soapy water. It kills them when I spray but they are usually back in a day or two. I sure hope the ladybugs show up soon.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

Thanks - well the aphids were back yesterday. Not quite so many, but still. I had some Worry Free dust, which is Pyrethrin based. The shaker top is too big, so I had a bottle of girlie rosé wine I was given for Christmas, wrapped in a little sheer fabric bag. I slipped the bag off the wine and around the shaker, and that gave me a lighter dusting of the stuff. (So a pink gossamer garden tool, who knew?) Looked okay today because the stuff basically stayed in place.

Also noticed one small, unripe fruit of the Big Ray's had a hole bored into it and a rotten part where something had wormed in apparently. It seemed to be the only one. I pulled the fruit off and smashed it with a brick, hopefully with the terminator still in there.

I've been using serenade mixed with some dish soap nice a week. Not great but it seems to be helping. I usually spray with a good spray of water to knock the aphids off several times a week, too.
Now, finally, I'm seeing lots of ladybug larva. Took about a week after a couple of adult ladybugs showed up.

[RebelRidin]

The growth potential of an aphid population is staggering. From birth to reproductive ability is only about one week. Then they can make from five to 10 copies of themselves for the next thirty days. And they are copies at this time of year with no male involved (parthenogenisis). That adds insult to injury as everyone "born" is female!

The only thing vigilent enough to keep them in check long term are predators. Keeping the population suppressed in the spring until those predators get established is the goal (IMHO). Insecticidal soap and knocking off with water is the way to go as pyrethrin will kill the good guys too. Of course you have to deal with the reality of the situation. If it gets too bad you may have little choice but use it unless you are willing to lose your plants.

Hope you can keep them in check until a ladybug army shows up!

[b54red]

Originally Posted by RebelRidin

The growth potential of an aphid population is staggering. From birth to reproductive ability is only about one week. Then they can make from five to 10 copies of themselves for the next thirty days. And they are copies at this time of year with no male involved (parthenogenisis). That adds insult to injury as everyone "born" is female!

The only thing vigilent enough to keep them in check long term are predators. Keeping the population suppressed in the spring until those predators get established is the goal (IMHO). Insecticidal soap and knocking off with water is the way to go as pyrethrin will kill the good guys too. Of course you have to deal with the reality of the situation. If it gets too bad you may have little choice but use it unless you are willing to lose your plants.

Hope you can keep them in check until a ladybug army shows up!

I'm not worried about killing any ladybugs because none have shown up at all. They usually first make an appearance on my peach trees which don't even have leaves yet this year. The seedlings they are attacking are only a few inches tall and the damage they can do to such a small plant in the numbers that are on them is too much to chance. I tried soap and spraying them off with water a couple of years ago when this same thing happened and ended up losing too many plants because of the rapid aphid explosion just like the one I'm experiencing now. They would get so thick on the new growth that you couldn't even see the leaves for the aphids and this would occur every day despite relentless washing and soap applications. The permethrin and soap spray at least kills them in great numbers giving them a chance to thrive until they are larger. Once the plants get large enough to get transplanted into the garden the predator population usually takes care of them.

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by b54red

... They would get so thick on the new growth that you couldn't even see the leaves for the aphids and this would occur every day despite relentless washing and soap applications. ...

Definately a situation that calls for a heavy hitter! I hope they subside for you soon...

[Heritage]

Ann,

Just a heads up if your cat is an outdoor cat - permethrin is very toxic to cats, so make sure you don't accidentally dose your cat or let her play in the plants before the spray has dried.

Good luck on the aphid control!
Steve

[Heritage]

You might also want to apply BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) to get rid of your tomato fruitworms - they can do a lot of damage.