How To Get Rid Of Bugs On Tomato Plants

In this article, I’ll give tips on getting rid of bugs in tomato plants.

The joy of eating the sweet, fresh tomatoes you grew in your garden is immeasurable. But what do you do when your tomatoes are under attack by bugs?

The answer is pretty simple. You need to get rid of them.

Also, here is a guide if you need clues on how to keep birds from your tomato plants.

What Pest Bugs Do To Your Tomato Plant

The damage caused to your tomato plant will be determined by the insect pest that attacks them. Aphids, for instance, suck the sap off the plants, thereby collecting the vital but that your tomatoes need to grow.

Other bugs like tomato fruit worms will eat and damage the foliage of your tomatoes, leaving them unhealthy and sometimes dead.

The activities of these pest bugs on your tomato plants make the fruit unappealing and unhealthy to eat.

Common Bugs That Attack Tomato Plants

Many bugs would love to feast on your tomato plants; if they are not controlled, your tomatoes will be damaged and unfit to eat.

Below is a list of common bugs you will likely have to fight off your tomato plants.

Aphids

Aphids aren’t just tomato plant pests. They attack every other day fruit plant you can think of.

They invade the fresh stems and leaves of your tomato plants and leave a sticky honeydew while at it.

The bad part is that the honeydew they leave behind attracts other insect pests to your tomatoes, causing even more damage along the line.

Blister Beetles

Blister beetles are ruthless eaters of tomato plant foliage. They can defoliate a whole tomato plant if they occur in large numbers.

Flea Beetles

Flea beetles are another set of bugs you can expect to find in your tomato garden. They are fond of eating holes in your tomato leaves, which can cause young tomato plants to become stunted or even die.

Other common bugs that eat tomato plants include you mites, whiteflies, and tomato fruit worms.

How To Get Rid Of Tomato Bugs

It isn’t all bad news for your tomato plants, as there are several means which you can employ to get rid of these destructive bugs.

We will be discussing these methods below.

Notice The Signs Of Infestation

The first step to eliminating bugs from your tomato plants would be identifying the infestation. You can only do this by carefully observing your plants.

Don’t just go to the garden, water the tomatoes, and leave. After watering, please take a moment to observe the tomatoes and their leaves to be sure they are healthy.

If you notice patches of holes in your tomato plant leaves or some yellowish/brownish discoloration in the fruit itself, then it’s under attack by tomato-loving bugs.

Inspect all the tomato plants and identify the ones that have been affected. Many of these bugs love to hide under the leaves of the plant, so if you don’t look in that direction, you could miss them.

You can proceed with the following line of action when you have identified the infested plants and discovered where the bugs are lodged.

Spray Them Off

If you notice a bunch of bugs hanging around the stems and leaves of your tomato plant, a quick fix would be to spray them off.

You can achieve this using a hose and a blast of water.

All you need to do is get a hose long enough to reach each tomato plant and connect it to a fast-flowing water source.

Walk around the garden and spray across all the affected plants. The stems and leaves should be your primary target.

Spray on top and under the leaves, as bugs will hide under them. Some bugs also lay their eggs on the leaves or in the corners of the stems, so you must be thorough when blasting.

A good water down is ideal for knocking bugs off your tomato plants. However, it is a temporary fix, as the water blast will only dislodge, not kill them.

They will be off your plants for the moment, but only a more thorough approach will ensure they don’t come back.

Use Natural Predators

What better way to fight destructive bugs than to have other creatures do the job for you?

By introducing natural predators to your garden, you will be at peace knowing the plant-eating bugs are being eaten by something else.

You can buy as many lacewings or ladybugs as you need and introduce them to your tomato garden. They love feasting on aphids and other pest insects and would do that as long as the pests invade your garden.

As for tomato fruit worms, some large species will gladly eat them up. You can buy such birds or attract them to your tomato garden by spreading some bird feed around.

The birds will attract them and come in contact with the worms. They’d appreciate the extra meal and eat the bugs up.

There’s an issue with using birds to get rid of bugs, though. They will also eat the beneficial ladybugs if they come across them. This shouldn’t be too much of a concern, though. As long as they eat the problematic bugs, then its mission is accomplished.

Hand-Pick The Pests

If you’re dealing with tomato fruit worms, you can remove them by simply handpicking them. These bugs grow to a mature height of about two inches, which is large enough for your fingers to grasp.

If you’re not one to make direct contact with insects, then you can wear gloves to keep your fingers from touching the worms. You will also need a transparent glass jar to place them as you pick.

Go round the plants in search of them and dispose of them accordingly.

This may not be the fastest way to remove them from your tomato plants, but it will help reduce their population.

Use Neem Oil

Neem oil is a strong natural substance that can affect the nervous system of many pest insects and attack their growth hormones. It can also cause them to lose appetite for feeding and hinder their ability to lay eggs.

There are commercial neem-oil-based insecticides that you can buy. All you need to do is apply the oil to the affected plants. You should also use it at the soil base of the plants, just in case they try to escape through the ground.

This is a more effective solution to pest bugs on your tomato plants. It is also eco-friendly and will not harm the plants.

Make A Garlic/Cayenne Pepper Spray

Garlic remains a powerful weapon that you can use to fight off pest bugs from your tomato plants. It contains sulfur that irritates pests and a strong scent they cannot stand.

To make a garlic/cayenne pepper spray, you will need some cloves of garlic, some cayenne pepper, some water, a container to mix, and a spray bottle.

Grind the garlic and cayenne pepper using a blender and add to a water container. Stir the combination thoroughly and pour it into a spray bottle.

Visit the affected plants one by one and spray accordingly. Make sure the spray is applied correctly to the stems and leaves of the tomato plants. Go around each branch and under the leaves, as the bugs may be hiding underneath.

After the water has evaporated, the garlic and the cayenne pepper will remain, repelling other bugs that plan to invade your plants.

A garlic/cayenne pepper solution is ideal because it is eco-friendly and non-toxic. It will not harm the tomatoes or other garden plants and is very safe for the user.

How To Prevent Bugs From Attacking Your Tomato Plants

You can take simple steps to prevent bugs from attacking your tomato plants.

You can start by planting pest-resistant varieties, which are more immune to pest attacks. It would help if you also practiced keeping your garden areas clean. If you find any affected leaves or tomatoes, prune them off and dispose of them to prevent a spread.

Some pest bugs lay their eggs just below the soil surface. The young larvae will make their way up the soil and your tomato plant when they hatch.

You can mulch the soil around the tomatoes to prevent them from ever seeing the light of day. The mulch should be about 2 inches thick and well compacted, so there will be no escape routes for the young bugs.

Conclusion

Tomatoes are best enjoyed when they are fresh and free of infestations. Follow the tips on getting rid of bugs on tomato plants in this article.

Good luck!