Tomato Plant Pests

A labored time spent on growing tomato plants can go in vain, with a single infestation of the tomato plant pests, which are not just of one type. These pests are nasty enough to kill a plant almost overnight. Some may only damage the foliage, while some may destroy the whole crop. However, with some smart and early measures, the infestation and the crop loss can be prevented.

Tomato Plant Diseases and Pests

Tomato Pests	Identification	Pest Control
Vegetable Leafminer	The first in the list of the tomato pests is what you call 'vegetable leafminer'. Did you ever get to notice bright yellow maggots on your tomato plants? These pests cause the foliage of the plant to take on a brown-burnt appearance. One classic sign of your plants getting attacked by these pests is the formation of wavy and twisted, punctured areas on the leaves.	Removing the affected leaves is known to be a good remedy for dealing with the problem. If the plant is attacked every year, then spraying the plant with an insecticide early in the spring would help in preventing the invasion of these bugs on tomato plants.
Aphids	These tomato pests, aphids as they are called, are among the common bugs that jeopardize tomato plantation. These pests target young tomato plants. These appear as lice and that is why they are also known as plant lice. They have a soft-make and are of the shape of a pear. The pests feed on the plant sap. This causes the leaves to turn yellow.	At the first sighting of the pests, the plant must be treated with organic spray. Applying contact insecticides also helps in controlling the population. One natural way to get rid of aphids is to introduce insects like lady bugs or preying mantis in the garden. These insects usually feed on aphids.
Stink Bug	Next in my list is the stink bug. What these pests do, they bite the tomato fruits and inject toxins. These result in the death of the fruit cells, causing a massive destruction. The symptoms include yellow spots on the fruit, with white and hard flesh.	Using an insecticidal spray is enough to bring down the population of stink bugs.
Spider Mites	No matter where you grow your tomatoes, spider mites neither spare container grown tomatoes nor the ones grown in the garden. Leaves become yellow, then bronze, and eventually wither off and die. Also, there would be small, fine spider webs formed on the plant. These creatures may appear in shades of red, brown or black.	These pests live in hot and dry environment. So mist the plants twice a day. This would make the conditions too harsh for these tomato bugs to survive. Otherwise, you can put contact insecticides to bring these pests under control.
Cutworms	These tomato pests like to attack young plants. And not only are tomatoes their delicacy, but also other plants grown in the garden. So, if their invasion is left unchecked, then you are putting the harvest of the entire garden at stake. The seedling and young transplants would appear chewed off at the base of the plant. These pests are nothing but tiny caterpillars which eat their way through the plants, and are easily identifiable. They are nocturnal plant feeders.	Secure the base with 3 - 4 inch cover of aluminum collar. As these pests remain at ground level, the cover would prevent them from damaging the crops.
Greenhouse Whitefly	Another class of sap suckers, like the aphids, are the greenhouse whiteflies. These pests result in the wilting of the plant along with deformed and discolored tomatoes.	Best is to make use of appropriate insecticides as soon as the symptoms are noticed.

There are probably some more kinds of bugs that affect tomato plants, but these are the ones which are commonly observed. And the best defense against a massive devastation by these pesky pests is prompt treatment measures.