Tiny black bugs can damage your tomato plant leaves and affect its growth. You can explore how to get rid of black bugs on tomato plants below in this article.
Tomatoes contain lycopene and various other nutrients that are quite beneficial for health. It improves blood circulation, lowers cholesterol, and helps detoxify your body.
You can easily grow tomatoes in your garden by spending little time and putting in some effort. But unfortunately, tomato plants can host black bugs, reducing tomato production.
The article discusses a few ways to eliminate black bugs on tomato plants. So, you can keep reading this article to learn more about black bugs and how to get rid of them.
What Are Little Black Bugs On Tomato Plants?
Black bugs are tiny insects that can be aphids, flea beetles, or both.
1. Aphids
Are you growing tomatoes in your garden? If yes, the plant may be susceptible to harmful pests like aphids. They are almost the size of sesame seeds and come in various colors like black, white, and red.
Aphids usually hide in shaded parts of the plant on sunny days. Hence, you can find them underside the leaves of tomato plants.
Finding one or two aphids on the tomato plant will not be problematic.
But hundreds of aphids can damage your tomato plant badly and lower tomato production in your garden.
Aphids usually suck sap from the leaves of the plant. These insects multiply very quickly. They lay eggs which hatch and further lay eggs.
Symptoms Of Aphids Attack
You can notice various symptoms of an aphid attack. We are listing some of them below.
- You can visualize the curled or yellowing of leaves. The tomato plant will struggle to thrive or lessen tomato production.
- You can notice a lot of ants on your tomato plants. Whenever aphids suck sap from the plant, then they excrete a black color substance called honeydew. It appears as black mold on the tomato plant. Ants love to eat this sweet substance. Hence you can find more ants when the aphids infect the tomato plant.
2. Flea Beetles
Do you find tiny holes in the tomato leaf? If yes, then flea beetles have most probably attacked your plant. They are tiny, i.e., one-third to one-sixth of an inch. Hence, you find difficult to diagnose.
Flea beetles are small and shiny beetles and have rear legs. The legs help them to jump like fleas when attacked. Their colors vary from black to tan and can have solid or striped patterns depending on the species.
Flea beetles overwinter in woody areas and appear when the outside temperature is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit or early spring. The adults start to feed on tomato plants. Additionally, they mate and lay eggs.
The eggs hatch and the larvae start to eat the plant roots. After a short pupation stage, The beetles will appear from the soil as adults. They will start feeding the plants.
Symptoms
The adult fleabeetles feed the leaves of the tomato plant and produce round holes. It ultimately destroys the leaf of the tomato plant. The damage is usually severe, but it is not critical if the tomato plant is fully matured and established.
Young seedlings are more vulnerable to flea beetles. They can even die because of the attack, as they have a tiny leaf surface area. The flea beetles usually attack your tomato plants in spring and early summer.
How To Get Rid Of Black Bugs On Tomato Plants?
You will find various chemicals available on the market that can help to get rid of black bugs. But they can be poisonous to the tomato plant. So we will not recommend them.
The natural solutions will help you enjoy eating chemical-free tomatoes.
1. Make bug Spray At Home
Take a spray bottle and add a quart of water. Add one tablespoon of liquid dish soap and one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Close the cover and shake it properly. You can then spray on the infested areas. It will paralyze the black bugs.
2. Garlic And Hot pepper Spray
You have to add 2-3 garlic cloves and 3-4 chili peppers to the sap bug spray you made at home. You can then put them in the jar and blend them. You need to strain the mixture with a cheesecloth. Pour the liquid part into a spray bottle and spray in the tomato plant within a gap of three to four days.
Wash your hands instantly. You should not touch your eyes as it can burn.
3. Manual Remove
If you find one or two aphids on your tomato plants, remove them manually. You can even spray the water on both sides of the leaves. But do it carefully because solid sprays can hamper the baby tomatoes or blooms.
4. Leave Insects That Eat Aphids
Aphids are lovely snacks for a few insects like ladybugs and lacewings. If you find them, then don’t destroy them in your garden. They will help your tomato plant to flourish by eating aphids.
5. Insecticidal Soap
You can spray insecticidal soap repeatedly on the leaves of the tomato plant to get rid of the aphids. Try to cover all the leaves while spraying. You must repeat it within 3-5 days, especially in the growing season.
6. Use Sticky Traps
You can use sticky traps on the tomato plants to trap fleabeetles on them.
7. Diatomaceous Earth Powder
You can spray diatomaceous earth powder on the fossil or the leaves. When the flea beetles come in contact with this powder, it will piece inside the skin. The powder will dehydrate them and may cause death.
Some gardeners don’t like diatomaceous earth powder because it can even hamper the bees and other beneficial insects.
Well, we recommend not to use this powder when you find a lot of bees in your garden. Additionally, never spray this powder on the flower of the plant.
It is safe to spray this powder on your hands. But don’t inhale it as it can badly affect your lung tissues.
8. Horticulture Oils Or Neem Oils
Spraying horticulture or neem oils on the leaves and stem of the tomato plant can disrupt the life cycle of black bugs and help to prosper your tomato plant.
9. Use Companion Crops
There are certain companion crops that aphids don’t like. For instance, you can grow marigold, mint, and cilantro near your tomato plant. They have a strong smell and keep the aphids away from tomato plants. If you don’t want to grow mint or cilantro directly on the ground, then you can grow them in a container. But place the pot just next to the tomato plant for effective results.
Conclusion
Black bugs can hamper your tomato plant badly. We have various effective ways to eliminate black bugs on tomato plants. You can use these ideas to grow your tomato plant properly and harvest many tomatoes from your garden.
