gardener in the southern U.S. are belike already familiar with the tomato plant pinworm . But those of us north of the Mason - Dixon line had better familiarise ourselves with this midget pest cursorily because it ’s becoming more common . I had trouble with tomato Enterobius vermicularis in my Pennsylvania garden for the first time last summer , and unfortunately , they ’re back again this yr .
About Tomato Pinworms
Lycopersicon esculentum pinworms ( Keiferia lycopersicella ) do n’t survive the veritable freeze wintertime temperature we have here in the north , unless we have an unusually fond wintertime . However , Lycopersicon esculentum pinworms easily overwinter in greenhouses and go on to come forth in the spring and lie eggs on a raw generation of plants . The full-grown reason we ’re seeing these pests in the north is probably because more tomato transplants are started in the Dixieland and then shipped around the country to be sold at various retailers , include many self-aggrandising boxwood stores . As infest plants move from one region to another , so does this pestilence . hear to identify the tomato Enterobius vermicularis is primal to command it . northerly gardener should also buy tomato plant flora only from local raiser orgrow their own from germ . Because grownup tomato pinworms are highly mobile and can move chop-chop from garden to garden , boost your neighbors to do the same .
Identifying Tomato Pinworms
As grownup , pinworms are very small , night - flying moth that are grey and characterless . Their wingspread is a mere half - inch , but distaff moths lie minor groups of eggs on Lycopersicon esculentum folio . Occasionally they may also lay nut on aubergine and peppers as well . James Castner / University of Florida
Tiny caterpillar hatch a few days later and begin to burrow between stratum of leaf tissue paper in the same manner thatleafminersdo , leaving blotches or squiggly ancestry on infested tomato leave of absence . Eventually , as the caterpillars grow , they exit the layers of leaf tissue paper and gyre or pen up leaves around themselves as they go along to run . This foliar equipment casualty , however , is not typically baffling ; it ’s when the larvae near pupation that the real problem start .
Eventually , the caterpillar make their way to the developing fruits , chewing humble holes into the stem end of the tomato . They feed inside the growing tomato for several days , burrow out the tissue and leaving a “ lousy ” spot behind . Van Waddill / University of Florida
How To Control Tomato Pinworms
Aside from purchasing locally grown plant , you could also help preclude pinworm issues by removing infested tomatoes immediately and demolish the Enterobius vermicularis larva . follow closely for tomatoes with bantam jam in the top of the fruits . At the end of the growing season , throwing away of any accrue fruit by place it into the scraps , not the compost cumulation .
Be certain to inspect your tomato plant on a hebdomadal basis through the springtime and summertime . Look carefully for any coil leaves that are fold up over a small caterpillar or leaves with tunnels through the tissue paper . If you find either of these signal , remove the infested foliage from the flora and cauterise or throw it into the garbage .
Large tomato planting can be spray with the constituent pesticides Bt orspinosadif you make out the threadworm before they burrow into the love apple fruit . Once inside the yield , however , tomato pinworms are extremely difficult to control with pesticide .
James Castner / University of Florida
Van Waddill / University of Florida
