3 Tomato Bugs: How to Identify and Prevent Them

Introduction
You might want to plant some tomatoes this year, but you should keep bugs away when you start. Many bugs like to eat the juicy red fruits of tomato plants. So, preventing tomato bugs is more important than getting rid of them. This post will discuss the most common bugs that eat tomatoes and how to stop them.
1. Blister Beetles
Blister beetles are in the family Meloidae. There are many different kinds of blister beetles all over the US. They are popular in the East, Southeast, and Midwest. However, they may also be found in the Pacific Northwest and South America’s grasslands and gardens. Most people know about these bugs because they can hurt people. Cut or crushed, they release a cantharidin chemical that makes your skin burn.
These bugs can also hurt your veggies and other plants in your yard. In the middle and end of summer, they can come in large groups that may quickly harm your tomatoes. Check your plants carefully and pick them off (wearing gloves!) while there aren’t too many.
If there are many bugs, remove them and the plants they’ve hurt as soon as possible. Protect plants against big swarms with well-anchored row coverings. Bring in some birds that will eat them to help control the population. The biopesticide Spinosad can be used to kill bugs. But remember that the first time this is used, it can hurt honey bees, so it might not be the best option.
2. Hornworms
Sphingidae Five-spotted Hawk Moth caterpillars become tomato hornworms. The moth doesn’t hurt tomato plants; caterpillars can be your plants’ worst enemy. Hornworms aren’t little bugs. They can grow up to 3 inches long, which helps us find them. But they are easy to hide because their color looks like plant leaves. They eat leaves quickly and can strip a plant of all its leaves in a few days. In the plant, they also lay eggs.
Since they are not microscopic nematodes, we can readily remove them from the plant. Check all of the tomato plants. Be aware of how they are dressed. Check the plants nearby as well. Monterey Bt, called Bacillus thuringiensis, is a good poison for killing hornworms.
3. Aphids
Aphids are the worst thing that can happen to a farmer anywhere. Every year, these sap-sucking insects make their way into gardens around. If you don’t deal with them immediately, they can cause much damage. They are usually on the stems and leaves of your tomato plants, usually near the growing tips. They can also move between species. So, if you have a problem with a plant close, the pests can easily move to other nearby plants.
Aphids can be killed with insecticidal soaps, Neem oil, and garden oils, but I’ve found that a strong stream of water from the hose works best. When spraying aphids off leaves, it’s hard for them to find their way back to the plant—aphids like to hide behind leaves.
Aphids can be kept away from plants with the help of companion planting. Mustard and nasturtium, two ‘trap plants’ that attract and trap pest insects, are among their favorites. If you put flowers and greens that attract pollinators near your tomatoes, ladybirds and parasitic wasps will come to eat the aphids.
Conclusion
There are various techniques to stop pests from eating tomato plants. Before you plant, take the time to learn what kinds of plants and flowers draw the hungry insects that are best for your area. Then put them there! Now that you know the many tomato pests that could invade your garden, it’s time to take action. Check on your tomato plants often and take the right steps to eliminate any bugs when you find them.