Terry Coombs wrote:
Finally figured out - with the help of a couple of knowledgeable
local folks - that my tomatoes have tomato spotted wilt virus . Nasty
little bugs called thrips are the vector , and the key is to control
them . There are many solutions presented , most of which call for
insecticides ... which ain't gonna happen here . The least toxic
solutions however involve using a soap solution , and this is my
first choice . I have a mixture of Ivory soap , water , and some red
pepper extract that I used last year for some bugs on some plants ,
and that is what I will be using . I have already wetted about half
of my tomatoes with this , will do the rest tomorrow before the dew
evaporates . The only drawback to soap is that it's not at all
persistent , you have to spray the little buggers and wet them to be
effective . I guess it'll mean spraying a couple of times a week for
a couple of weeks , but worth the effort if it makes the difference
between getting a crop and not ...

It looks like soapy water is not going to do the job , they were worse
this morning than before I sprayed the plants . After some research I have
decided to try a spinosad product called "Captain Jack's Deadbug" . It has
low toxicity to my bees when dried , and covers several types of bugs that
have been problematic in the past . It's labeled "for organic gardening" for
what that's worth . I figured this is the next-least toxic solution , let's
hope I don't need to step up to anything more toxic .
--
Snag