# bugs on tomatoes



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

hello, I am new to the gardening forum, but not new to 2cool. 
I am taking care of my retired fathers garden while they are on an extended RV vacation. 
Dads garden is 100% organic. 
these bugs have shown up in force the last couple of days. Dad said that he has them pretty much every year when it starts to get real hot. 
they sting the tomatoes and cause them to mature funny and rot. 
what are they?
what can be done about them, organically?


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

this is what the tomatoes that have been stung look like.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Garrett Juice should chase em off.


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

leaf footed bugs. get after them with your fingers or a pair of needle nose pliers.


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

Gilbert said:


> leaf footed bugs. get after them with your fingers or a pair of needle nose pliers.


there are hundreds of them and when you reach toward them they move away. no way would I ever get all of them.


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

chuck leaman said:


> Garrett Juice should chase em off.


I thought Garrett Juice was a plant food. 
will it also work for insect control?
spray on entire plant?


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

are they laying eggs in the tomatoes?
or just stinging?


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Just sucking the juices...


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

If I remember right it keeps bugs away as well. I think the vinegar in it does that.


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

Gilbert said:


> leaf footed bugs. get after them with your fingers or a pair of *needle nose pliers*.


wuss:rotfl:


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

shop vac?


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

chumy said:


> wuss:rotfl:


I grab them with my hands dummy. Drop them in a bucket of water and they die right away.


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

Gilbert said:


> I grab them with my hands dummy. Drop them in a bucket of water and they die right away.





tngbmt said:


> shop vac?


at this point the hand of death and shop vac are pretty much the only recommendations I could find that were "organic". 
thanks for your help guys. 
planting a "trap crop" (sunflowers) is supposed to work. but has to be done when you plant tomatoes. 
for the shop vac removal, I read that spraying the plants with water will cause bugs to climb to top where they might be easier to get. 
my problem is my plants are close to 9' tall.


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## rynochop (Aug 28, 2006)

I've got some cherry tomatos and something is eating them in half, I mean it looks like someone took a knife and sliced them in half. Any idea?


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

rynochop said:


> I've got some cherry tomatos and something is eating them in half, I mean it looks like someone took a knife and sliced them in half. Any idea?


birds


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

rynochop said:


> I've got some cherry tomatos and something is eating them in half, I mean it looks like someone took a knife and sliced them in half. Any idea?


overripe coupled with extreme heat busting them open?


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

rynochop said:


> I've got some cherry tomatos and something is eating them in half, I mean it looks like someone took a knife and sliced them in half. Any idea?


Squirrels with knives. :biggrin: The heat brings out stink bugs and other pest that love maters. The hotter it gets the more of em you get. I pulled my maters in early June. Had a ton canned already and had given a bunch away too.


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

Gilbert said:


> birds


those darn mockingbirds can mess some tomatoes up. my dad had an ongoing war with them until he found this bird netting online. like very thin monofilament with 1/2" squares. 
now the only ones they can get to are the ones growing out top.


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Did you email them to me? Just found some in my maters!


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

jm423 said:


> Did you email them to me? Just found some in my maters!


HAHAHA
I told them to go somewhere else. didn't think it would work. 
try to knock them out they will ruin your tomatoes.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

chuck leaman said:


> I pulled my maters in early June. Had a ton canned already and had given a bunch away too.


Same here (besides we were out of jars). Only thing left is peppers, okra, eggplant & melons.


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