Pests that can damage German Queen Tomato

When it comes to tomatoes, everybody prefers the German Queen variety. Besides the fact that they are very tasty, these tomatoes have big and fleshy crops. They can be eaten fresh, in salads or tinned.

Although the German Queen tomatoes bear crops all season, they are threatened by various pests that can damage them.

Aphids

One of the most unpleasant pests that can harm a German Queen tomato is the aphid. These little green, pink or brown insects suck the juice from the plant damaging it severely or even killing it. Because they are hidden under the leaves of the tomato, the aphids can be seen only if you examine very carefully your plant. In order to get rid of them, sprinkle a strong gush of water on the plant. In turn, the aphids have some natural enemies such as ladybugs and lacewings.

Beetles

Another pest that can affect the health of a German Queen tomato and other vegetables in your garden is the flea beetle. As compared to aphids, flea beetles eat the leaves and the roots of the plant entirely, not only its juice. To keep them away, use traps with a sticky solution and put them at the bottom of the plant. Sprinkle some dust on the plant and the beetles won’t eat the leaves anymore.

Potato beetles

You should also get worried if you see potato beetles on your German Queen tomatoes. These insects have a yellow color with black stripes and can eat away your plants. To destroy them, mix water and soap in a container, pick them up with your hands and throw them into the soapy water.

Whiteflies

As well as the aphids, whiteflies feed themselves with the German Queen Tomatoes juice. Besides that, they leave a gluey trace behind them that can shelter many types of fungus. If whiteflies have invaded your plants don’t try to use pest killers from markets or stores; they usually don’t take effect. Use horticultural oil or sprinkle a strong blast of water to get rid of a large number of these insects. Wasps and ladybugs are two natural enemies of whiteflies.

Wireworms

German Queen tomatoes can also be affected by the larvae of the click beetles- the wireworms. These pests feed themselves with the plant’s roots affecting its crops production and health. One way to avoid this is to plough the ground where the tomatoes are planted. It will create a free way for the natural enemies to eat the worms.

Hornworms

The hornworm is a plant pest also known as the caterpillar. Hornworms eat the leaves of the tomatoes and they are not very easy to see because their green color offers them the perfect camouflage. If there are only a few hornworms on your tomatoes you can pick them up with your hands; use a special product if their number is big.

Slugs

Slugs are also a threatening for your tomato plants. These nocturnal invaders feed themselves with both the crops and the leaves of the plant. Remove them using special products from the store or try a home made remedy. Place a deep container with beer near the tomato plantation. Slugs like beer and when they will try to taste it the slugs will fall into the container and get drown.

Nematodes

Nematodes are very tiny worms that cannot be seen with a naked eye. The most dangerous for the German Queen tomatoes are the root-knot nematodes. As their name says, these pests eat the roots of the tomato plant, killing it. Destroy these pests by sterilizing the land where you want to plant tomatoes. The disadvantage is that sterilization also damages other useful organisms. The best way to prevent an invasion is to plant different crops on the same area each year.