Death Warrants Issued. Help. Warning: CLOSE-UPs of my finger!

[AlittleSalt]

The reason I changed from Malathion to Triazicide for our one-size-fits-all nukacide is Malathion smells bad and Triazicide doesn't. I only use it when all else has failed.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kurt

On the Arbico site they have a "buglady" contact link.I asked her about the Tomato Bug that Ginger2778 ID'D and she emailed me back about a promising,low risk fungus being used.

http://www.bioworksinc.com/products/...botanigard.pdf

Kurt, I just went to buglady's link. That isn't useful after all for this insect, its only good for soft bodied ones such as whiteflies, thrips, aphids. These true bugs with the hard exoskeleton are a whole different sort of pestilence. See page 2 on that link, quite near the top.

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by coastal bend

That is what I use now. I have to spray Spinosad every 10-14 days to keep the worms at bay I will put a half a dose of Permethrin in with the Spinosad ever other spraying. So far I havent had anymore problems since the. I doubt that I could grow tomatoes without Spinosad.There is constant worm pressure during the growing season. This is normal for me here.

I'm gonna acquire some Spinosad. Any recommendation on brands?

[kurt]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Kurt, I just went to buglady's link. That isn't useful after all for this insect, its only good for soft bodied ones such as whiteflies, thrips, aphids. These true bugs with the hard exoskeleton are a whole different sort of pestilence. See page 2 on that link, quite near the top.

This is what she recommended in the email.She copied some bugs from Wiki that this stuff affects.Seems like there are some hard exoskeletons in the list.

pecies, Beauveria bassiana parasitizes a very wide range of arthropod hosts. However, different strains vary in their host ranges, some having rather narrow ranges, like strain Bba 5653 that is very virulent to the larvae of the Diamondback Moth and kills only few other types of caterpillars. Some strains do have a wide host range and should therefore be considered nonselective biological insecticides. These should not be applied to flowers visited by pollinating insects.[7]

Known targets include:[8][9][10]

Aphids
Whiteflies
Mealybugs
Psyllids
Lygus bugs
Chinch bug
Grasshoppers
Stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys)[11]
Thrips
Termites
Fire ants
Flies
Stem Borers
Fungal gnats
Shoreflies
Beetles
Coffee borer beetle
Colorado potato beetle
Mexican bean beetle
Japanese beetle
Boll weevil
Cereal leaf beetle
Bark beetles
Emerald ash borer (in con★★★★★★★★ with the parasitoid wasp Tetrastichus planipennisi)[12]
Black vine weevil
Strawberry root weevil
Caterpillars
European corn borer
Codling moth
Douglas fir tussock moth
invasive Silkworms
Mites

[Gerardo]

Hello again everyone.

To summarize, it seems there are quite a few options to combat Tomato Bugs.

Neem at high doses attacks the nymphs, but leaves the adults untouched. Spinosad is apparently in the same boat. So multiple applications are needed and I guess one has to wait out the adults to die well-fed.

Sevin, Malathion, Triazicide, pyrethroids, will take them both down.

Soaps/detergents also keep them at bay, unclear re: nymph/adult.

It is a true/hard insect so it should be susceptible to DE.

I don't like doing this but sometimes it's necessary:

• Tomorrow AM I spray 1st with deltamethrin (purchased a 250 mL bottle at a decent price, and it lingers for 2 wks, perhaps less in full sun)
  
• Then a subsequent spraying with diazinone (in hand already as Pops' go-to ant killer). The target will be the new growth where they A) lay their eggs, and B) spend most of their time. The delay has been in acquiring the respiratory gear and of course no exposed skin, and always mindful of air currents.
  
• 3 days later, high dose Neem/DE.
  
• And 3 days after that, I'll repeat the deltamethrin/diazinone.
  
• If they survive then they've earned their place and I'll make them full citizens of my garden.
  
• For subsequent insect control, I'll likely continue with high dose Neem/Spinosad and hopefully, fingers crossed, occasional deltamethrin and DE.
  
  

I'll continue reporting. The plants look healthy otherwise, just the trusses affected. I don't have the bad defoliation you see in some of the links. I'm sure they'll bounce right back.

EDIT: And I just read the above post, so Botanigard's Beauveria bassiana strain GHA Mycoinsecticide can also do the job. Thanks kurt and ginger for clearing it up.

[coastal bend]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

I'm gonna acquire some Spinosad. Any recommendation on brands?

I use Montery Garden insect spray. I know it comes in other brands but now sure of the brand names. It will last a longer than the older BT.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kurt

This is what she recommended in the email.She copied some bugs from Wiki that this stuff affects.Seems like there are some hard exoskeletons in the list.

pecies, Beauveria bassiana parasitizes a very wide range of arthropod hosts. However, different strains vary in their host ranges, some having rather narrow ranges, like strain Bba 5653 that is very virulent to the larvae of the Diamondback Moth and kills only few other types of caterpillars. Some strains do have a wide host range and should therefore be considered nonselective biological insecticides. These should not be applied to flowers visited by pollinating insects.[7]

Known targets include:[8][9][10]

Aphids
Whiteflies
Mealybugs
Psyllids
Lygus bugs
Chinch bug
Grasshoppers
Stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys)[11]
Thrips
Termites
Fire ants
Flies
Stem Borers
Fungal gnats
Shoreflies
Beetles
Coffee borer beetle
Colorado potato beetle
Mexican bean beetle
Japanese beetle
Boll weevil
Cereal leaf beetle
Bark beetles
Emerald ash borer (in con★★★★★★★★ with the parasitoid wasp Tetrastichus planipennisi)[12]
Black vine weevil
Strawberry root weevil
Caterpillars
European corn borer
Codling moth
Douglas fir tussock moth
invasive Silkworms
Mites

Yes indeed! If it'll kill stink bugs and beetles, for sure it works on Tomato Bugs. Thanks for this info.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

Hello again everyone.

To summarize, it seems there are quite a few options to combat Tomato Bugs.

Neem at high doses attacks the nymphs, but leaves the adults untouched. Spinosad is apparently in the same boat. So multiple applications are needed and I guess one has to wait out the adults to die well-fed.

Sevin, Malathion, Triazicide, pyrethroids, will take them both down.

Soaps/detergents also keep them at bay, unclear re: nymph/adult.

It is a true/hard insect so it should be susceptible to DE.

I don't like doing this but sometimes it's necessary:

• Tomorrow AM I spray 1st with deltamethrin (purchased a 250 mL bottle at a decent price, and it lingers for 2 wks, perhaps less in full sun)
  
• Then a subsequent spraying with diazinone (in hand already as Pops' go-to ant killer). The target will be the new growth where they A) lay their eggs, and B) spend most of their time. The delay has been in acquiring the respiratory gear and of course no exposed skin, and always mindful of air currents.
  
• 3 days later, high dose Neem/DE.
  
• And 3 days after that, I'll repeat the deltamethrin/diazinone.
  
• If they survive then they've earned their place and I'll make them full citizens of my garden.
  
• For subsequent insect control, I'll likely continue with high dose Neem/Spinosad and hopefully, fingers crossed, occasional deltamethrin and DE.
  
  

I'll continue reporting. The plants look healthy otherwise, just the trusses affected. I don't have the bad defoliation you see in some of the links. I'm sure they'll bounce right back.

EDIT: And I just read the above post, so Botanigard's Beauveria bassiana strain GHA Mycoinsecticide can also do the job. Thanks kurt and ginger for clearing it up.

And thank you Gerardo for doing this much research. You should contact Mischka and ask him if this thread can become a sticky, I suspect that at least in the southern states this little horror is going to be seen more and more.
That was very funny about if they survive this then they have earned a spot in your garden.
Feed on our tomato flowers indeed! We'll show you!! Muahahaha!

[kurt]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Yes indeed! If it'll kill stink bugs and beetles, for sure it works on Tomato Bugs. Thanks for this info.

I am adamant in not using any kind of chemicals/introduced fungus/man made fungus etc.Instead I will use the cost of the chemicals etc. and buy some live ladybugs,lacewings,and now the parasitic wasps that are available.Since we in Florida have a ecosystem that is fragile with our groundwater I think it is prudent to keep the nuclear pesticides at bay.In my Homestead neighborhood it is a shame to see the chemicals they pump into the ground and air for the crops nowadays.In my little oasis we enjoy the millions of insects,anoles(lizards etc.) birds,bees, fauna and most important flowering plants (food/nectar)that seem to compliment each other and keeping nature in check.Plus I gave up growing anything delicate outside(containers in a pool screen enclosed garden).A old farmer told me "You are what you eat".

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

And thank you Gerardo for doing this much research. You should contact Mischka and ask him if this thread can become a sticky, I suspect that at least in the southern states this little horror is going to be seen more and more.
That was very funny about if they survive this then they have earned a spot in your garden.
Feed on our tomato flowers indeed! We'll show you!! Muahahaha!

If they survive what I threw at them this AM, then they've earned my respect indeed. I'll contact Mischka about this thread. I think you're correct in your prediction. Perhaps we'll have to change the title of the thread to reflect the content.

And I'm with you Kurt. I started this whole gardening thing to avoid the poisons. And here I am, about the serve myself up a shot neat, but I'm out of options. I had a great ecosystem going and then the spider mites moved in and then I intervened, and....blah blah blah.
You are correct , the best is to let them figure it out. But this chemical solution has cost me a total of $7.50. The 250 mL of deltamethrin, at the concentration suggested, turns into 250 liters. I only used about 3 liters to completely drench my garden. So I basically bought enough to Keep all the bugs at bay for quite some time. I was mindful of drift and runoff, and compared to the metric tons of this stuff used worldwide, my 30 mL contribution today can be considered negligible. I'm doing this because there are practically no toms on the plants, so by the time they set and blush, these poisons will be gone (there's still about 2-3 months of sunlight and heat left, woohoo!). I'll also wash thoroughly as if they'd come from the store. Hopefully it'll be the equivalent of eating a regular unwashed apple or grapes!
I'd love to let the parasitic wasps do their thing. Can you tell me more please. I see they come in squares with many thousands included in each. How long do they linger in the garden? How often and how many do you release? Is it a "hatch as needed" type deal or is a steady stream necessary to provide proper control? How long are they viable in egg form? Who sells them at the best price with good quality control? Many questions. Guess I can hit the product FAQ and some will be answered.
In a few seasons I'll be like you and give up on delicate things being exposed, and cover them up.

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by coastal bend

I use Montery Garden insect spray. I know it comes in other brands but now sure of the brand names. It will last a longer than the older BT.

Excellent. Thanks!

[Gerardo]

They were running-flying for their lives, none got away. Concentrated on the new growth.

Shook the plants and stiff ones dropped.

Hard to beat the old-school contact killing organophosphates.

Thank you Walter White of yesteryear.

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

If they survive what I threw at them this AM, then they've earned my respect indeed. I'll contact Mischka about this thread. I think you're correct in your prediction. Perhaps we'll have to change the title of the thread to reflect the content.

And I'm with you Kurt. I started this whole gardening thing to avoid the poisons. And here I am, about the serve myself up a shot neat, but I'm out of options. I had a great ecosystem going and then the spider mites moved in and then I intervened, and....blah blah blah.
You are correct , the best is to let them figure it out. But this chemical solution has cost me a total of $7.50. The 250 mL of deltamethrin, at the concentration suggested, turns into 250 liters. I only used about 3 liters to completely drench my garden. So I basically bought enough to Keep all the bugs at bay for quite some time. I was mindful of drift and runoff, and compared to the metric tons of this stuff used worldwide, my 30 mL contribution today can be considered negligible. I'm doing this because there are practically no toms on the plants, so by the time they set and blush, these poisons will be gone (there's still about 2-3 months of sunlight and heat left, woohoo!). I'll also wash thoroughly as if they'd come from the store. Hopefully it'll be the equivalent of eating a regular unwashed apple or grapes!
I'd love to let the parasitic wasps do their thing. Can you tell me more please. I see they come in squares with many thousands included in each. How long do they linger in the garden? How often and how many do you release? Is it a "hatch as needed" type deal or is a steady stream necessary to provide proper control? How long are they viable in egg form? Who sells them at the best price with good quality control? Many questions. Guess I can hit the product FAQ and some will be answered.
In a few seasons I'll be like you and give up on delicate things being exposed, and cover them up.

Arbico has most of your beneficial bugs.This site has the wasps.
http://www.planetnatural.com/product...ogramma-wasps/

They both have staff available for customer specific info(i.e. greenhouse,open field,home garden,temperature ranges,seasons etc.)

I monitor throughout the years of buying and replenishing bugs when needed.You want to establish a environment and continuous food source if you can. Good Luck.Kurt

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by kurt

Arbico has most of your beneficial bugs.This site has the wasps.
http://www.planetnatural.com/product...ogramma-wasps/

They both have staff available for customer specific info(i.e. greenhouse,open field,home garden,temperature ranges,seasons etc.)

I monitor throughout the years of buying and replenishing bugs when needed.You want to establish a environment and continuous food source if you can. Good Luck.Kurt

Thanks! I'll look into it thoroughly.

[Gerardo]

UPDATE

After Diazinone, Deltamethrin, and DE treatments (separately) the bugs are gone. To make sure it was strong enough, I chose the scorpion concentration for the Deltamethrin and oh my was it. Everyone ran for their lives, way more than with the Diazinone.

As a reward for enduring their treatments, I brewed a batch of alfalfa-worm tea and spoon fed everyone this morning. They seem to be rebounding. I plan on brewing continuously and using it as a full strength drench. Simultaneously I'll push the plants as far as they'll allow with the M.O.A.B. and hopefully I can salvage things.

I documented some of the damage so you can easily ID it if it starts happening.

The plants pictured are, in no particular order: Couilles de Taureau, Joe's Pink Oxheart, Danko, Wes, German Johnson, and Neves Azorean Red,.

damaged truss 1.tv.jpg

damaged truss 2.tv.jpg

damaged truss 3.tv.jpg

Arrows show suction sites where they will bend and likely break in the future.

damaged truss 4.tv.jpg

damaged truss 5.tv.jpg

They also really like to hit the suckers, they end up as a curly fry and nothing more.

damaged truss 6.tv.jpg

More arrows showing where they fed.

damaged truss 7.tv.jpg

The poisons have not discouraged welcome guests. This guy was a real cool customer and posed for the pics. I was right next to the plant and hadn't seen him, then I turned and saw these monster red eyes looking right thru me. Just beautiful.

todays visitor1.jpg

And another sunflower, this time my King Ghidorah (not its name, but what I call it) courtesy of M.O.A.B. from Mad Farmer. These were billed as single flower types.

sunflower.tv.jpg



One more poison application left, and then it's officially over.

I started a bunch of Cosmonaut Volkov as a hedge of sorts, since they did great for me last winter. I want my fall-winter tomatoes!