controlling insects

[luvscows]

I sprayed with Sevin on Monday.* I've never used the product before.* Last year, I only used insecticidal soaps, but I lost a few crops to insects, and seem to be having a worse infestation this year.* This morning, I took a brief look at my garden after bringing out the trash.* It's wet outside, so I didn't stay long.* Long enough to see that my tomato plants are still covered with bugs.* I'm certain I mixed my Sevin concentrate correctly and sprayed adequately, so why the bugs?* I didn't stay long enough to try to identify them.* If the rain holds, I'm going back out soon to see if any other crops are affected.* The insects I saw were on the underside of leaves, and were brown.* I saw some white things - perhaps eggs? perhaps something else as I didn't look that closely.

Anyway, my question is - I know I can't respray with the Sevin yet, but what about an insecticidal soap?* or is the Sevin still effective?* it rained last night....

Thanks!* :) Amy

[backyardgardener]

Insect control

http://www.backyardgardener.com/inse...ctcontrol.html

Guide to Pests and Diseases

http://www.backyardgardener.com/alive/index.html

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[luvscows]

Thanks - those are great resources, and I've bookmarked them.* But what I was really asking was if I can spray with the insecticidal soap 2 days after spraying with Sevin?*

A friend of mine said I should just respray with Sevin because it rained, but the rain came at least 30 hrs after the 1st spraying, so the plants should have absorbed a fair bit.* Plus, the poison is still out there in the soil, right?

[Newt]

Luvscows, you can use the insecticidal soap now.* The Sevin should have been absorbed before the rain.* You don't say what your bug pests are and that would be helpful to know what will work.* I always say 'know thine enemy'. Do you know what your bugs are?

I don't use Sevin, and wouldn't, especially on food.* It's a very powerful pesticide and will kill bees.* Here's some info on it.
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles...baryl-ext.html

Newt

[luvscows]

I know Sevin is powerful, so I am reserving its use for only when bug infestation is very bad.* Last year, I used only the insecticidal soap and I lost my zucchini to squash vine borer, my green beans to spider mites (although once I killed them, some of the green beans did grow back, but harvest was minimal after that), and my cucumbers to the striped cucumber beetle.* I had HAD IT!* I hope to not lose any plants this year.* I am being vigilant in checking for bugs/signs of bugs and removing manually what I can, and using insecticidal soap, mostly.

I believe I have indentified 2 of the insects found on my tomato plants - aphids and thrips.* A 3rd whitish-tan one, I have no clue what it is.* There is also a black one in the photos that was apparently just stopping by, because I haven't seen any others.







The unidentified bug is the white/tan one on the upper left of this leaf.* There were a few of these on each plant.

Am I right about the aphids and thrips?

Thanks for your help!

[backyardgardener]

The upper photos are aphids.* I would fight them using ladybugs.

Welcome to the world of gardening.* Another way to battle bugs is to put remay or some type of netting so bugs can't get in.

*

Backyard

[Newt]

Looks like you have thrips larvae too.* They leave behind those web-like structures.* The tan bug could be a predator, especially since there are fewer of those.* Sevin would kill the predator too.* It would be most helpful if you could id it.* Here's some sites about beneficial insects with photos that might be helpful.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/project...alneutral.html
http://www.drmcbug.com/beneficials.htm

Newt

[luvscows]

THANK YOU!* Those links are very helpful.* I identified the unknown "insect".* It is actually an aphid mummy - an aphid that had been parasitized by an aphidiidae wasp.

[Newt]

Wow, how cool is that?* Mother nature taking care of business.* I'd say to use insecticidal soap first since you have some good predators in the neighborhood!* :D*

Newt