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brownrexx · May 4, 2017

I don't see how DE is going to help since the adult leaf miner is a fly and it will ovaposit its eggs under the epidermis of the leaf while the DE sits on top of the epidermis. The larvae will then develop inside the leaf out of reach of the DE.

However the DE will remain on the surface where it can harm beneficials which may be looking to eat the larvae.

Since the adult fly lays her eggs on the underside of the leaves then possibly a contact insecticide like Neem will kill adults but I would not expect that it will harm the larvae inside the leaves.

I have never had leaf miners on my tomatoes but I do get them on swiss chard and beets. I remove and destroy the affected leaves to break the life cycle and I seem to get plenty of good leaves to harvest.

May 4, 2017	#8
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	I don't see how DE is going to help since the adult leaf miner is a fly and it will ovaposit its eggs under the epidermis of the leaf while the DE sits on top of the epidermis. The larvae will then develop inside the leaf out of reach of the DE. However the DE will remain on the surface where it can harm beneficials which may be looking to eat the larvae. Since the adult fly lays her eggs on the underside of the leaves then possibly a contact insecticide like Neem will kill adults but I would not expect that it will harm the larvae inside the leaves. I have never had leaf miners on my tomatoes but I do get them on swiss chard and beets. I remove and destroy the affected leaves to break the life cycle and I seem to get plenty of good leaves to harvest.