Tomato plants aren’t immune to infestation from pests and diseases. From caterpillars to stink bugs, your tomato fruit could become dinner for a variety of different bugs. If you’ve spotted bugs on your tomato plants, you’ll need to take swift action before your next harvest suffers.
Read our guide to identify which tomato pest is affecting your crops and how you can get rid of them before they ravage your tomato fruit.
5 Types of Bugs on Tomato Plants: A Quick Guide
Here’s a quick guide to the five most common types of bugs found on tomato plants and how to identify them.
Read more about keeping your garden thriving here.
Little White Bugs on Tomato Plants
If you notice little white bugs on your tomato plant, it could indicate a whitefly infestation. Whiteflies, called Trialeurodes vaporariorum, are tiny insects that congregate beneath tomato leaves, often in large groups. They feed by piercing the plant tissue and consuming its sap, ultimately weakening it over time. Symptoms of their presence may include yellowing and wilting leaves, as well as stunted growth in your tomato plant.
While whiteflies are considered less harmful compared to other pests, it’s still important to take prompt action to maintain the health of your plant. These pests are most active during warmer periods, so be vigilant about checking the undersides of your tomato plant leaves during the summer months.
Stink Bugs on Tomato Plants
Stink bugs are insects shaped like shields and come in shades of green to brown. You can quickly identify stink bugs on tomato plants as when you’re near them they release a strong smell when they feel threatened, which is how they got their name. These bugs can be found on tomato fruits, where they feed by piercing the skin and extracting the juice. To detect an infestation, watch out for tiny discolored spots on the skin of the tomato fruits. If left unchecked, it will eventually lead to deformities.
Worms on Tomato Plants
It’s not very common to discover worms on your tomato plants, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need to take precautions if found. While earthworms can actually be beneficial for your plants, there are four other types of bugs that can wreak havoc on your tomatoes if left unchecked. These include:
Tomato Hornworm
Although they’re technically caterpillars and not worms, tomato hornworms can cause significant harm to tomato plants by stripping the plants of their leaves. These large caterpillars have a sizeable appetite for tomato foliage, which can weaken the plant and stop it from producing fruit.
Armyworms
Armyworms are gray or green caterpillars with stripes running along their bodies. They feed on both foliage and fruit, creating irregular holes in leaves and sometimes nibbling on tomato fruits, causing damage to the surface.
Cutworms
Cutworms are the larvae of different moth species. While they mainly target seedling stems, including tomato plants, they can inflict considerable damage by cutting off young plants at ground level. This results in wilting and the eventual death of seedlings.
Root Knot Nematodes
Nematodes are tiny roundworms that can invade the roots of tomato plants. Root-knot nematodes cause galls or swellings on the roots, affecting the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. Plants that are infested might show signs of slower growth and yellowing leaves. You may also have fewer tomatoes to harvest if you leave nematodes unchecked.
Little Yellow Bugs on Tomato Plants
If you happen to notice tiny yellow insects on your tomato plants, it could mean you have an aphid problem. These small bugs are soft-bodied creatures that tend to gather underneath the leaves of tomato plants. Coming in colors like green, yellow, black, or brown, aphids can reproduce rapidly and lose a serious threat to tomato plants. Despite their small size, aphids can cause damage by feeding on the plant’s sap, leading to slower growth, distorted leaves, and fewer tomatoes to harvest. They also spread plant viruses from one plant to another and could affect your entire garden if left unchecked.
How to Get Rid of Bugs on Tomato Plants
Ready to protect your garden from insects? Now you’ve identified which bugs are actively hurting your crop, here’s how to get rid of bugs on your tomato plants.
How to Eliminate Whiteflies from Tomato Plants
To combat whiteflies on your tomato plants, start by using a strong stream of water to wash them away from the undersides of leaves where they tend to gather. Trimming heavily infested leaves and branches can also help reduce their numbers.
Using insecticidal soap or neem oil on affected plants, especially on the undersides of leaves where whiteflies are commonly found, can be effective. These products suffocate the insects upon contact.
Another method is introducing natural predators like ladybugs, lacewings or parasitic wasps to control whitefly populations. Using lightweight row covers can also physically block whiteflies from reaching your tomato plants. However, remember to remove the covers occasionally to allow for pollination.
Dealing with Stink Bugs on Tomato Plants
If stink bugs are a problem on your tomato plants, manually removing them by handpicking and placing them in soapy water can work wonders. Using row covers can also prevent stink bugs from reaching tomato plants, or you could consider planting trap crops nearby to attract them away.
Introducing natural predators such as predatory stink bugs, assassin bugs or parasitic wasps can also help manage stink bug populations.
When dealing with a severe bug problem, you might need to use insecticides that can control stink bug populations. Just make sure you read and follow the instructions on the label carefully and think about how they might affect your predator insects. Also ensure that any insecticide used is safe and suitable to use on edible crops.
How to Eliminate Worms on Tomato Plants
To deal with worm infestations, start by manually removing caterpillars and larvae from the plants by handpicking them off and disposing of them. Introducing natural enemies like parasitic wasps or predatory insects also helps manage the worm populations. Use farming techniques like rotating your crops and cleaning up debris to reduce places where pests can hide during winter.
How to Get Rid of Aphids on Tomato Plants
To tackle aphid problems on tomato plants, start by using a strong stream of water to physically remove them from affected plants. Alternatively, for small infestations, remove manually by hand by gently rubbing the leaves. Spraying affected plants with insecticidal soap or neem oil can also help to control aphid populations while minimizing harm to your helpful insects. Introduce natural predators like ladybugs, lacewings, or parasitic wasps that feed on aphids. Practice good gardening habits like removing weeds and plant debris since they can provide hiding spots for aphids. If aphid numbers are still high, think about using insecticides made for managing aphids while carefully following the label instructions.
Final Thoughts
Knowing about the different kinds of bugs on tomato plants is essential for keeping your garden healthy and thriving. Whether it’s whiteflies, stink bugs, worms, or aphids, each pest brings its own set of problems and needs its own control methods to prevent further infestation.
By quickly spotting and dealing with infestations, you can safeguard your tomato plants and guarantee a great harvest this summer.
How can I tell if my tomato plants have pests?
Look for signs like leaves wilting or turning yellow, distorted growth, holes in leaves or fruits or seeing insects on the plant.
Are all bugs found on tomato plants harmful?
Not all of them. Some insects, like ladybugs and lacewings are helpful as they eat harmful pests. However, others, like aphids and stink bugs, can cause harm if left unchecked.
What are the consequences of not dealing with pest infestations on tomato plants?
If left untreated, infestations can result in lower yields, poor fruit quality, and even plant death. Pests can also spread diseases amongst other plants.
How do I initially prevent pests from infesting my tomato plants?
Practices like rotating crops, keeping the garden clean, using row covers, and introducing beneficial insects can help prevent pest infestations.
Are chemical insecticides safe for use on tomato plants?
While they can be effective, chemical insecticides might harm beneficial insects and the environment. Consider using organic or integrated pest management methods wherever possible.
How do I attract natural predators to my tomato plants?
Planting crops that draw predator insects like dill, cilantro, and marigolds can help bring natural predators to your garden. They will go a long way in killing pest populations and preserving your tomatoes.
Is it okay to use natural solutions to manage pests on tomato plants?
You can consider using homemade remedies like garlic spray, chili pepper spray, or soap spray to combat pests. However, their effectiveness may vary, so you might need to reapply the spray on a regular basis.
What steps should I take if I spot signs of a pest invasion on my tomato plants?
Act promptly to address the infestation by physically removing pests or using insecticides to prevent further harm to your plants.
