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Is this an aphid?

AiliDeSpain
10 years ago

I've got these little winged bugs on my tomatoes are these some type of aphid?

Comments (14)

  • jean001a
    10 years ago

    Yes, a number of them, including the winged fellow.

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    OMG I didn't even notice the little green ones until you said something, I was talking about the black winged one.
    Crap. What should I do now?

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    10 years ago

    Hit with a water nozzle, especially undersides, once or twice a day, 3 days apart. Do it again.

    Then, use insecticidal soap or neem oil as directed.

    In the meantime, research Integrated Pest Management.

    Kevin

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Kevin, does it look like an infestation to you? I will start spraying the plants tomorrow.

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    10 years ago

    It's not bad, bad. Hard to say since you really want to check all plants and all foliage. Also, I've had them attack a couple broccoli plants and right next to those plants not touch OTHER broccoli plants but attack my cauliflower

    Check the undersides. That's where most action is.

    Kevin

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks. Have you tried or had any luck with purchasing and releasing ladybugs to control the aphids?

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    10 years ago

    Funny you should ask.. I purchased 1,500 from Hirt's Gardens last year. Released them, they stuck around for a few days and I didn't see much of them the rest of the year and when the whiteflies showed up in late summer in masses, they were nowhere to be found.

    BUT...

    This year I'm seeing them in bunches and i didn't release them! And I'm almost certain none of my neighbors did. And they're doing their job for the most part. I'm going to do the water nozzle thing this week though just to help them out some.

    But I'm making a concerted effort at creating an "insectary" to attract beneficials. Meaning planting annual and perennial flowers and herbs that flower at different times of the year so that when the young nymphs(which do MUCH of the pest control) grow into adults, they have a place to reproduce and get their fill on nectar.

    My next move is I'm purchasing lacewing eggs in a couple weeks -- my research has me convinced that lacewing larvae are a great beneficial to have around.

    That's why I suggested researching IPM. One thing you must know though... If you're going to go this route, you should be prepared to wean yourself off pesticides because the use of them will kill the good guys also.

    I'll still use BT no matter what though. It only kills caterpillars.

    Good luck.

    Kevin

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Kevin,
    I saw the lacewing eggs whilst looking for ladybugs on Amazon. Looks like a good choice for aphid control, and I like the idea of buying eggs rather than live bugs, I think, lol.
    I have only used sevin twice and I am certainly not married to the idea of using insecticides. This is only my second year gardening so I am still learning ALOT! Pest management is a big one for me this season as I am seeing a lot more damage than I remember having last year.
    I thought DE did not help with earwigs? Not sure where I read that but if it does help control earwigs I would certainly rather use something organic than something harmful to the beneficials.
    So I think I am going to order the ladybugs. Let me know how it goes with those lacewing eggs!

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Also Kevin,
    What brand of DE do you use? Is it the food grade stuff?

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    10 years ago

    Ali, it's a myth that the organic pesticides we use do not harm beneficials. They do.....many are broad spectrum insecticides that need to be applied with care. They are usually not as persistant, though, and when used properly, many are excellent tools for us to use.

    Kevin said that he uses Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki.....a biological agent used solely to control caterpillars. That's a great example of a very targeted product.

    DE is a product that worries me when used in the garden. Not only is it very broad spectrum (will harm earwigs as well as any other arthropod it comes into contact with) but persistant, as well. Food/horticultural grade DE is something that needs to be confined to close quarters....the nooks and crannies of a garage (where I use it for the black widows), basement, on top of potting mix to help manage fungus gnats; etc.

    Using DE for earwigs could harm the myriad of predatory beetles and spiders that help us naturally.

    SO! The moral of the story is that most of these products ( commercial or home brewed) are broad spectrum killers. Being labeled 'organic ' does not change that.

    My personal arsenal includes insecticidal soap, neem oil, horticultural oil, Surround kaolin and that's about it. it's HOW and when they're used that make the difference.

  • planatus
    10 years ago

    That is a very scattered infestation, just enough to draw the attention of beneficials. I would not even spray soap until I watched it for a few days. No aphids means no aphid predators.

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    10 years ago

    AIli: Definitely listen to Rhizo1 and planatus over me -- they know much more than i do.

    However, my arsenal is much like rhizo1's except I do use the DE in certain spots in the garden. Usually just at the base of certain plants to create a barrier for the pests mentioned or maybe along an heavy ant trail(which never works, they just walk around it...lol). He probably doesn't need to purchase beneficials because his garden is probably well balanced... I'm getting there, I hope. The brand of DE I got is Perma-Guard food grade, but I got a 50 lb bag of it from a local organic nursery. It was $35 bucks for a bag that will last me for probably 10 years or keep buying a 3 lb bag of the GardenSafe brand at Lowe''s for $13 -- Bag is titled Crawling Insect Killer with Diatomaceous Earth. I haven't tried the Kaolin Clay yet that Rhizo1 mentioned.

    Planatus is right too -- the water treatments may be all that's needed at this point. The ladybugs, in my opinion, is never a bad idea also. But, unless you want to keep buying them, you want to create an environment where they want to stay.

    Good luck.

    Kevin

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks to everyone for their comments and opinions. I did spray the leaves this morning and checked the undersides of the plants. I did not see anything more concerning than what was on the top. I did however see this little guy on one of my pepper plants :)

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    10 years ago

    Nice! Yeah... if you have them, I've noticed that they really show up after a treatment. Possibly to munch on all the corpses. Dunno.

    Kevin

    This post was edited by woohooman on Tue, Jun 25, 13 at 22:05