Natural Worm Repellents for Tomatoes

Worm Pests of Tomatoes

• Worm pests of tomato plants include the cutworm, the tomato hornworm, tomato fruit worm, wireworm, beet armyworm, western yellowstripe, tomato pinworm and loopers. The pest that is most likely to attack your tomato plants depends entirely on which of these worm species is more prevalent in your geographic area and on other unique factors. Also, depending on the species, these worms can cause feeding damage to tomato fruits, roots, stems and leaves. Some damage only tomato plants in the larval stages while others are a pest throughout their life cycle.

Preventative Steps

• Preventing a pest infestation of a plant is always easier than treating infested plants. Generally, there are no effective worm repellent chemicals available, but there are strategies that have a repellent effect. Purchase and plant worm-resistant tomato cultivars. Till the soil between each planting season to destroy worm larvae in the soil before the pupate.

Treating Infested Tomato Plants

• In the failure of a preventative worm control program, you will need to treat tomato plants that have been infested with damaging worms. Observed worms can often simply be picked off by hand. Introduction of natural predators such as the Cotesia congregatus and Hymenoptera vespidae wasps can control worm populations since these wasps prey on worm larvae. Another benefit is that these wasps also control the populations of other beetles that cause damage on other plants in your garden.

Chemical Controls

• As a last resort, consider an approved insecticide to save your tomato plants from worm damage. It is crucial to first identify the species that is inflicting the damage since pesticides are targeted at specific species. Also be sure to only use pesticides that are safe for use on food plants and never use more than the manufacturer's recommended dose to achieve total worm removal. Excess pesticide residues on vegetables can cause health problems in people and animals.