How should I combat bedbugs on tomatoes? - briefly
Remove infested fruit, spray vines with insecticidal soap or neem oil, and dust the soil and stems with diatomaceous earth. Repeat the treatment weekly and maintain good air circulation to deter further infestation.
How should I combat bedbugs on tomatoes? - in detail
Inspect plants regularly, focusing on leaf undersides, stems, and fruit surfaces. Remove any visible insects by hand or with a soft brush, and discard affected fruit in a sealed bag.
Apply physical barriers: cover planting beds with fine mesh or row covers that exclude insects while allowing light and air flow. Install sticky traps around the garden to monitor activity and capture wandering adults.
Enhance cultural practices: rotate crops each season, avoid planting tomatoes where previous infestations occurred, and keep the area free of weeds and plant debris that can harbor pests. Water at the base of the plant early in the day to reduce humidity on foliage, which discourages reproduction.
Introduce biological agents: release predatory insects such as lady beetles, lacewings, or parasitic wasps that prey on the target pest. Apply a diluted neem oil spray (2 ml per liter of water) every 7–10 days, covering both leaf tops and undersides, to interfere with feeding and egg laying.
When chemical intervention becomes necessary, select a low‑toxicity insecticide labeled for use on edible crops, such as spinosad. Follow label directions precisely: apply a fine mist until runoff, repeat after 7 days if monitoring indicates continued presence, and observe the pre‑harvest interval before picking fruit.
After treatment, wash harvested tomatoes with running water and a mild food‑grade sanitizer to remove residual particles. Maintain a clean garden by composting or destroying plant waste, and record each action in a pest‑management log to refine future control strategies.