Tiny flies on tomato plants - Ask Extension
Hi, I've had a garden for three years and for the last two, tiny black flies have been covering my tomato plants. We've sprayed but no luck. I find th...
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Tiny flies on tomato plants #408939
Asked June 21, 2017, 10:05 PM EDT
Hi, I've had a garden for three years and for the last two, tiny black flies have been covering my tomato plants. We've sprayed but no luck. I find that the leaves get small holes and turn yellow once the bugs show up. And the tomatoes come in with brown spots on the bottom. I included some photos for reference. Any suggestions on how to make my plants thrive? Homegrown tomatoes are the reason I planted a garden! Thanks so much.
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
The pictures you provided were helpful but without seeing the actual plant and damage our assessment is not conclusive. Some possibilities for the foliar damage are flea beetle or tomato psyllids. In either situation, insecticides containing carbaryl or permethrin is a treatment option.
The dark spots on the fruit are probably due to Blossom end rot.
Attached is a link to the Colorado State University Planttalk information on Common Tomato Problems that you may find helpful and provide further details on both conditions.
http://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/vegetables/1834-common-tomato-problems/
