Is it thrips or do i have more than one infestation - Ask Extension
I have been gardening for well over twenty years and this year I am finding the leaves being eaten. It starts with a few holes and then spreads so the...
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Is it thrips or do i have more than one infestation #872793
Asked June 12, 2024, 12:26 PM EDT
I have been gardening for well over twenty years and this year I am finding the leaves being eaten. It starts with a few holes and then spreads so the leaves are paper thing on the BlueLake Bush beans. It is spreading quite quickly.
It manifests as holes on the young tomato leaves.
It looks like very dark patches on the pepper plants,
I am seeing some small black beetles? On the eggplant.
I have been cutting leaves off the beans and peppers and spraying all of it with Safer’s but to no avail.
Any identification or prescription would be greatly appreciated.
Lane County Oregon
Expert Response
The small black beetles are flea beetles. They are a serious pest usually in the early growing season and can cause damage like a birdshot, but quite small holes at first. They jump off the plant at any disturbance. These love tomatoes and peppers.
The bean problem is probably baby slugs or snails which feed during the night usually using rasping mouth parts.
Even under 200x magnification, the pictures do not give me a good enough look.
Soap sprays are most effective on soft bodied insects and can damage plants in really hot weather. Neem is pretty good as an organic spray, but close observation and hand-picking or removal of affected leaves and destroying them as soon as damage is noted is also a good tactic.
The bean problem is probably baby slugs or snails which feed during the night usually using rasping mouth parts.
Even under 200x magnification, the pictures do not give me a good enough look.
Soap sprays are most effective on soft bodied insects and can damage plants in really hot weather. Neem is pretty good as an organic spray, but close observation and hand-picking or removal of affected leaves and destroying them as soon as damage is noted is also a good tactic.
Thank you for responding Patricia.
Since I wrote, I have sprayed Neem Oil to soak the eggplant and the peppers (and done a light spraying on the tomatoes.
Also, after your reply I put wood ash around the bean plants..
May I send you additional pictures if you think it would be useful?
Thanks again,
Mark
On Jun 14, 2024, at 2:26 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
If you do not get results with your treatments, feel free to send more info and pix anytime.
