Tiny black bugs on my plants

fourpinkmonkeys · June 7, 2009

I have these clusters of tiny black bugs on everything in my garden. They are about the size of a head of a pin.

They are on my chamomile, peppers my zucchini. What are they and how do I get control of them?

dice · June 8, 2009

Sounds like black aphids. We get them on nasturtiums, lupines,
and fava beans.

Aphid controls: insecticidal soap, dish soap (beware the "inert
ingredients"), ladybugs, green lacewings, blasting them off
with the hose (they come back, so I am not especially fond of
this method), etc. There are probably some other mild, organic
insecticides that will kill them, but I am not familiar with them.

habitat_gardener · June 8, 2009

"Tiny black bugs" could also be flea beetles. If your leaves have tiny holes in them, it's flea beetles. They're especially attracted to eggplant leaves, but I've also had them on lower tomato leaves. Usually I remove the lowest leaves, and that takes care of it for me. When I grow eggplant, I keep it covered with row cover. I've talked to someone who *catches* them!

June 7, 2009	#1
fourpinkmonkeys Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: PA Posts: 9	Tiny black bugs on my plants I have these clusters of tiny black bugs on everything in my garden. They are about the size of a head of a pin. They are on my chamomile, peppers my zucchini. What are they and how do I get control of them?

June 8, 2009	#2
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Sounds like black aphids. We get them on nasturtiums, lupines, and fava beans. Aphid controls: insecticidal soap, dish soap (beware the "inert ingredients"), ladybugs, green lacewings, blasting them off with the hose (they come back, so I am not especially fond of this method), etc. There are probably some other mild, organic insecticides that will kill them, but I am not familiar with them. __________________ -- alias

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June 8, 2009	#3
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	"Tiny black bugs" could also be flea beetles. If your leaves have tiny holes in them, it's flea beetles. They're especially attracted to eggplant leaves, but I've also had them on lower tomato leaves. Usually I remove the lowest leaves, and that takes care of it for me. When I grow eggplant, I keep it covered with row cover. I've talked to someone who catches them!