Help...my aphid plant has tomatoes!

To-MAH-to · June 23, 2011

New here.
Well, I had what was probably 2000 (low estimate) aphids growing nicely on the potted plant and a few tomatoes.
So...how do I get rid of these pesky tomatoes???

Really tho.
I have never seen so many aphids on 3 tomato plants. I've been growing cherry tomatoes on and off for 20 years and have never even had to treat them for insects before.
Yesterday I go out and see all these white 'specks' and on closer examination they were tiny bugs. On the underside of a lot of leaves were what had to be a minimum of 2 thousand of them both white and larger green ones.

I got some Ortho BugBGone Max and treated as per the instructions but I have a genetic disease (acute intermittent porphyria) which makes it so I have to be seriously careful with any chemical (even hairspray for crying out loud).

So my questions are;
1. will a treatment of the Ortho likely do the trick? If so, how long should it take to get rid of the little mutants?

2. Is there a better non chemical method that ACTUALLY works?

Nice to meet all of you. Great forum

**mdvpc** · June 23, 2011

You can dust them with diatomaceous earth-also put the DE around the pot-get it from Home ★★★★★ or Lowes or a nursery. You can order some green lacewing eggs-thats what I use and they control them well.

Mark0820 · June 23, 2011

I wonder if it is related to the weather we have had here in Ohio. I've never had a problem with aphids on tomato plants until this year. My problem isn't as bad as yours. I've just been taking my finger and brushing it against the back of the leaf and it squishes them. They seem to like the plants with the most tender leaves (Andine Cornue, Wes, Sarnowski Polish Plum, etc.). They seem to leave the plants with bigger and thicker leaves alone (NAR, Bear Creek, etc.).

platys · June 23, 2011

I just doused my Pork Chop tomato plant with insecticidal soap to get rid of a ton of tiny tiny red little bugs. I'm assuming they are some kind of aphid. A few of the plants around the pork chop had a couple, but for some reason, they REALLY liked that one particular plant.

To-MAH-to · June 23, 2011

What I have is a 'Husky Cherry Red' pot from Walmart with 4 plants in it. The pot is caged pretty well, altho they have exploded over the top of it very quickly.
All was going well, we've already gotten a few ripe ones, until these little monsters decided to stop by.

I checked earlier and didnt see any living ones and the ones that were there have 'disappeared'....it Im not finding many dead bodies either. Do they fall off when they die?

About the Ortho....it says its for vegetables....but do I need to worry about contamination....ie getting a good dose of insecticide with my tomatoes in my salad?

Thanks

ContainerTed · June 24, 2011

Read the entire label on any chemicals you put on garden plants. Most will have a chart of how soon after application you can harvest. I also have some Ortho products and have used them for years (I don't do "organic" but try to minimize chemicals).

You also need to understand that Walmart, Lowes, Home ★★★★★, Ace Hardware, Kmart, and most Co-ops get their plants to sell from Bonnie Plants. There have been many posts about Bonnie Plants that have not been too flattering. Mostly the problems have been diseases of the plants at the time of purchase.

I treat my garden kinda like a sterile operating room. Nothing comes in unless it is checked out for critters and diseases. Next time you buy plants from commercial sources, do some "preventative" work and give them a spray of something like Garden Safe, which can also be found at Walmart. GS is a Fungicide, Pesticide, Miticide combo product that even runs off Japanese Beetles and Hornworms. Spray it before any fruit or blossoms have developed and you'll at least have a good start.

This year, I have 7 purchased tomato plants from local nurseries. All were put in my "quarantine" location for a full month before going to the main garden.

Bottom line, think about doing some "preventative" things that will head off diseases and infestations before they happen.

Wi-sunflower · June 24, 2011

A few aphids are almost a normal occurrence here. Often when we put them out in the field things go away or at least aren't a problem.

When I need to do something for aphids, often just a hard spray with a hose will get rid of a lot.

Next is to use an insecticidal soap and horticultural oil in a sprayer. "Sun Oil" is a brand I've used. The thing is tho you need to NOT spray the oil on the plants when it's bright sunny. It will burn the plants. Usually I'll spray late in the day during twilight or early on a cloudy day. After the spray has dried I will come back with just the water hose and rinse it off. About an hour or so after the first spray. While that part is NOT part of the label directions, it seems to keep the oil from harming the plants as much as leaving it on and the spray is a "contact" spray so once it's dry it has done it's work.

In a greenhouse situation the green lacewings work well to keep aphids at a very low population. Out in the field, Lady Bugs (Lady Bird Beetles) seem to work better for me. Besides aphids, if you have a decent population of Lady Bugs, they will also do a reasonable job of helping control Colorado Potato Beetles on eggplants. I used to release them in my eggplants just for that reason. They will eat the hatching CPB larvae. If you don't have a bad infestation, that may be all you need to do along with some "squishing".

Just some alternatives I've used.
Carol

To-MAH-to · June 24, 2011

Thanks for the info and tips

I dont see any living aphids out there today. A couple dead ones fell off leaves I was checking. Hopefully I dont have to spray it again...at least for a while anyway.
I sprayed around where the plant is out on my patio...some grass out there....so maybe that will help keep them from coming back.

rsg2001 · June 25, 2011

I use Hot Pepper Wax spray (made from the concentrate) to control aphids and it works pretty well. My question is, why is that my container with Black Cherry tomatoes is attracting an inordinate number of aphids compared with all the others? All but four of my 40 tomato plants were started by me from seeds, and the BC is one of the ones that I started. It seems very odd. Even the plants to either side of BC (which is on the deck) have virtually no aphids.

tjg911 · June 25, 2011

i never saw white aphids tho it is possible, are you sure they are aphids? did you google aphids (google image for pictures) and see if they look like that? if you had thousands where did they go? aphids can't fly and can't really walk anywhere. i doubt a predator ate all of them. whitefly not aphids?

insecticidal soap works. the cheapest way is a gentle blast with a sprayer or finger over the end of a hose. once knocked off they can't get back on. i had a bad infestation years ago on lots of brussels sprouts late in the season and it was like sand blasting rust! they just were scoured off the plants, very effective.

tom

To-MAH-to · June 26, 2011

This is pretty much what they looked like

http://bugguide.net/node/view/344083

Also had some to these

It almost seems like its the same bug...like a juvenile and an adult?

To-MAH-to · June 26, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjg911

if you had thousands where did they go?

I hadnt pruned any at that point so a lot of them went with the removed leaves.
The rest died in the great OrthoMax holocaust of 2011

Quote:

insecticidal soap works. the cheapest way is a gentle blast with a sprayer or finger over the end of a hose. once knocked off they can't get back on. i had a bad infestation years ago on lots of brussels sprouts late in the season and it was like sand blasting rust! they just were scoured off the plants, very effective.

tom

I did try blasting them but the water was damaging the plant more than getting rid of them. Many came off but not enough.
One good treatment of OrthoMax Bug B Gon...and they be gone....for now

rsg2001 · June 26, 2011

Aphids come in many colors. White, green, yellow, red; they pretty much look the same.

tjg911 · June 26, 2011

well i wan't aware they came in white and they sure do look like aphids.

tom

WVTomatoMan · June 29, 2011

I have bunches of aphids. I keep them under control by spraying left over dish water (dishsoap and water). Where ever I spray when I go out the next day the aphids are dried up and dead. I don't mind using dishsoap water because I wash the tomatoes in that (and rinse of course) before I eat them anyhow. Essentially it is a cheap alternative to insecticidal soap.

Weather has a lot to do with it. Last year it was dry and no aphid problems. This year it's wet and I have aphid problems. I grow everything from seed so no contamination from outside sources. Some plants are more affected than others.

Good luck.

Randy

June 23, 2011	#1
To-MAH-to Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 13	Help...my aphid plant has tomatoes! New here. Well, I had what was probably 2000 (low estimate) aphids growing nicely on the potted plant and a few tomatoes. So...how do I get rid of these pesky tomatoes??? Really tho. I have never seen so many aphids on 3 tomato plants. I've been growing cherry tomatoes on and off for 20 years and have never even had to treat them for insects before. Yesterday I go out and see all these white 'specks' and on closer examination they were tiny bugs. On the underside of a lot of leaves were what had to be a minimum of 2 thousand of them both white and larger green ones. I got some Ortho BugBGone Max and treated as per the instructions but I have a genetic disease (acute intermittent porphyria) which makes it so I have to be seriously careful with any chemical (even hairspray for crying out loud). So my questions are; 1. will a treatment of the Ortho likely do the trick? If so, how long should it take to get rid of the little mutants? 2. Is there a better non chemical method that ACTUALLY works? Nice to meet all of you. Great forum

June 23, 2011	#2
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	You can dust them with diatomaceous earth-also put the DE around the pot-get it from Home ★★★★★ or Lowes or a nursery. You can order some green lacewing eggs-thats what I use and they control them well. __________________ Michael

June 24, 2011	#6
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Read the entire label on any chemicals you put on garden plants. Most will have a chart of how soon after application you can harvest. I also have some Ortho products and have used them for years (I don't do "organic" but try to minimize chemicals). You also need to understand that Walmart, Lowes, Home ★★★★★, Ace Hardware, Kmart, and most Co-ops get their plants to sell from Bonnie Plants. There have been many posts about Bonnie Plants that have not been too flattering. Mostly the problems have been diseases of the plants at the time of purchase. I treat my garden kinda like a sterile operating room. Nothing comes in unless it is checked out for critters and diseases. Next time you buy plants from commercial sources, do some "preventative" work and give them a spray of something like Garden Safe, which can also be found at Walmart. GS is a Fungicide, Pesticide, Miticide combo product that even runs off Japanese Beetles and Hornworms. Spray it before any fruit or blossoms have developed and you'll at least have a good start. This year, I have 7 purchased tomato plants from local nurseries. All were put in my "quarantine" location for a full month before going to the main garden. Bottom line, think about doing some "preventative" things that will head off diseases and infestations before they happen. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

June 25, 2011	#10
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	i never saw white aphids tho it is possible, are you sure they are aphids? did you google aphids (google image for pictures) and see if they look like that? if you had thousands where did they go? aphids can't fly and can't really walk anywhere. i doubt a predator ate all of them. whitefly not aphids? insecticidal soap works. the cheapest way is a gentle blast with a sprayer or finger over the end of a hose. once knocked off they can't get back on. i had a bad infestation years ago on lots of brussels sprouts late in the season and it was like sand blasting rust! they just were scoured off the plants, very effective. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

June 26, 2011	#14
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	well i wan't aware they came in white and they sure do look like aphids. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

June 23, 2011	#3
Mark0820 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 907	I wonder if it is related to the weather we have had here in Ohio. I've never had a problem with aphids on tomato plants until this year. My problem isn't as bad as yours. I've just been taking my finger and brushing it against the back of the leaf and it squishes them. They seem to like the plants with the most tender leaves (Andine Cornue, Wes, Sarnowski Polish Plum, etc.). They seem to leave the plants with bigger and thicker leaves alone (NAR, Bear Creek, etc.).

June 23, 2011	#4
platys Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 176	I just doused my Pork Chop tomato plant with insecticidal soap to get rid of a ton of tiny tiny red little bugs. I'm assuming they are some kind of aphid. A few of the plants around the pork chop had a couple, but for some reason, they REALLY liked that one particular plant.

June 24, 2011	#7
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	A few aphids are almost a normal occurrence here. Often when we put them out in the field things go away or at least aren't a problem. When I need to do something for aphids, often just a hard spray with a hose will get rid of a lot. Next is to use an insecticidal soap and horticultural oil in a sprayer. "Sun Oil" is a brand I've used. The thing is tho you need to NOT spray the oil on the plants when it's bright sunny. It will burn the plants. Usually I'll spray late in the day during twilight or early on a cloudy day. After the spray has dried I will come back with just the water hose and rinse it off. About an hour or so after the first spray. While that part is NOT part of the label directions, it seems to keep the oil from harming the plants as much as leaving it on and the spray is a "contact" spray so once it's dry it has done it's work. In a greenhouse situation the green lacewings work well to keep aphids at a very low population. Out in the field, Lady Bugs (Lady Bird Beetles) seem to work better for me. Besides aphids, if you have a decent population of Lady Bugs, they will also do a reasonable job of helping control Colorado Potato Beetles on eggplants. I used to release them in my eggplants just for that reason. They will eat the hatching CPB larvae. If you don't have a bad infestation, that may be all you need to do along with some "squishing". Just some alternatives I've used. Carol

June 24, 2011	#8
To-MAH-to Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 13	Thanks for the info and tips I dont see any living aphids out there today. A couple dead ones fell off leaves I was checking. Hopefully I dont have to spray it again...at least for a while anyway. I sprayed around where the plant is out on my patio...some grass out there....so maybe that will help keep them from coming back.

June 25, 2011	#9
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	I use Hot Pepper Wax spray (made from the concentrate) to control aphids and it works pretty well. My question is, why is that my container with Black Cherry tomatoes is attracting an inordinate number of aphids compared with all the others? All but four of my 40 tomato plants were started by me from seeds, and the BC is one of the ones that I started. It seems very odd. Even the plants to either side of BC (which is on the deck) have virtually no aphids.

June 29, 2011	#15
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	I have bunches of aphids. I keep them under control by spraying left over dish water (dishsoap and water). Where ever I spray when I go out the next day the aphids are dried up and dead. I don't mind using dishsoap water because I wash the tomatoes in that (and rinse of course) before I eat them anyhow. Essentially it is a cheap alternative to insecticidal soap. Weather has a lot to do with it. Last year it was dry and no aphid problems. This year it's wet and I have aphid problems. I grow everything from seed so no contamination from outside sources. Some plants are more affected than others. Good luck. Randy