How to Control Tomato Pinworms In the Garden

Garden fresh tomatoes are delicious and make for an excellent addition to anyone's garden. However, the tomato pinworm can create problems in your garden, if you don't control these pests. To control the tomato pinworm all you need are patience, persistence and the ability to follow a few relatively simple steps.

Instructions

1. Inspect thoroughly any new tomato plants you put in your garden. Tomato pinworm infestation is most prevalent in green house grown plants and can spread this infestation to your garden is you are not vigilant.

2. Destroy all the plant debris and dead foliage from your garden. Dead or dying plants can encourage the infestation of the tomato pinworm. Be sure to burn or carry these far away from your tomato plants and do not just put the dead plants in a mulch pitch near the plants.

3. Pick any brown leaves off the tomato plants daily to control tomato pinworms in the garden. Not only must you clear off the dead plant or foliage from the garden, but you must also inspect each plant for leaves that are just starting to show decaying brown spots that could indicate the presence of the tomato pinworm.

4. Spray the tomato plants with pesticides before the tomato pinworm matures. The adult stage of the pinworm is difficult to control because it hides in the folds of the leaves and around the fruit. Once the tomato pinworm moves past the second larval stage it probably too late to fend off the infestation chemically. Some of the most effective chemical are methomyl, endolsulfan, esfenvalerate, abamectin, cyfluthrin and emamectin benzoate. See the Resources section for more information.

Resources

• Methomyl product information (Lannate)
• Endosulfan pesticide information
• Esfenvalerate safety and chemical information
• Abamectin product information
• Cyfluthrin pesticide information
• Emamectin benzoate pesticide information