What's Eating Your Tomatoes - A Guide to Common Pests

What's Eating Your Tomatoes - A Guide to Common Pests By Betsy Cole

You've planted your tomatoes and watched them grow. You're looking forward to the first fruits of your labor, and they may not be far away. But then one day, you go to check on your tomatoes, and something else has been nibbling on them! You have a pest problem. What is causing it, and what can you do to fix it?

My leaves are vanishing!
You may have an infestation of hornworms. Tomato hornworms are widespread throughout the US and southern Canada, and eat the leaves off of tomato plants. They tend to start at the top of the plant, so the damage is fairly obvious.

If you think you have hornworms, check the plants over carefully. Tomato hornworms are caterpillars that can grow to four inches long, but they often blend in with the plant, so look carefully. They have a distinctive spiky "horn" on the back end.

If you find hornworms, you can just pluck them off the plant and drop them in a bucket of water to kill them. Make sure to till your soil well after harvest to destroy any pupae left in the ground.

My leaves are sticky, and turning yellow!
Sticky residue on your leaves are a sure sign that you have whiteflies or aphids on your tomatoes. Whiteflies and aphids live on the bottom of tomato leaves, and suck juices from the plant, leaving it discolored.

Aphids, which are also called plant lice, are small, soft-bodied bugs, usually green, though they come in a wide range of colors. If you have a few aphids on your tomato, it's probably not a concern, though a large-scale infestation can kill plants. Another concern with aphids is that they can spread disease, much as mosquitos can do with humans. If you are having problems with plant disease, dealing with your aphid population may help.

Aphids can be killed using an insecticidal soap. For a more natural solution, a garlic oil spray directly onto the aphids will kill them as well.

My leaves have big holes in them!
Uh-oh! It sounds like flea beetles may have set up in your garden. Flea beetles are small- to mid-sized beetles, which get their name from their characteristic jumping behavior when disturbed. Certain kinds of flea beetles love to feast on tomato leaves.

Flea beetles eat the leaves in patches, leaving the leaves looking lacy. Tomatoes are particularly susceptible during dry patches, since flea beetles hide in wet weather. If your tomatoes are stressed by underwatering, you may see more flea beetle damage.

If you have a problem with flea beetles, you can try a hot pepper or garlic spray to chase them away. These will need to be reapplied frequently. Chemical pesticides will also work on flea beetles.

With container gardening, nearly anyone can grow fresh fruits and vegetables! Check out more ideas for growing vegetables in container gardens.