Will wooly aphids hurt my tomato plants? If so, how do I get rid of them?

Question

Will wooly aphids hurt my tomato plants? If so, how do I get rid of them?

Answer 1

Insecticidal soap (available at Lowes, WalMart, etc) sometimes works really well for aphids, but not as well if they are under some protective covering, like scale insects.  The soap only works when wet (so do it about sundown), and you have to get it directly on the insects.  On the plus side, there is no worry about residues and no waiting period before you can pick the tomatoes.

Answer 2

From what I can tell, wooly aphids like hardwood and coniferous trees. So if they're on your tomatoes, it's likely something else - regular aphids perhaps - or maybe some kind of mite or whitefly? However, a great way to get rid of aphids is by spraying them with a mixture of water and dishsoap. Fill your spay bottle with water and add several drops of dishsoap. Spray the bugs off first with the "stream setting" and then spray the whole plant on the "mist setting". They don't like the taste of the soap and will leave your plants alone. It's been said that Lemon Joy works best, but I think any dishsoap will do. Make sure you rinse your tomatoes before you eat them. You could also buy some ladybugs. Make sure you lightly mist your plants with water before you release them at dusk. If you can get your hands on some lacewings - those are great little aphid munchers, too. Unfortunately, I don't know of any companion plants that repel aphids.

Answer 3

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