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Have never seen those bugs before. A whole bunch of them on our only tomato surviver this year.
This is in Austria, if that helps.
Thanks!!
Looks like it's one of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nezara_viridula (third instar, maybe fourth?).
These bugs go through five stages of moulting changing shape and size every time, so in a few weeks they may just look like a bug you'll recognise.
Ah, I think you're right!
We are having an infestation this year of those fuckers, but I've only seen the adult ones until now.
Thank you very much!
Those have become a pest here.
If someone knows how to keep them away, it would be very much appreciated.
Edit: the only thing I've found was manual removing them or spraying them with vinegar and soap water. I've now freed my 3 poor plants of them manually (into a bag with vinegar, soap and hot water)
At least now I know, why all our tomatoes this year started to rot with some mold infection
Look beneath your leaves, that's where they leave their eggs.
Thanks!
Checked them already after skull givers answer, but haven't found anything - maybe they already all hatched now...
This season is already fucked and gone. So I'm currently looking into ways to prevent this next year.
I've read that spraying peppermint helps to keep them away. But we got a bit really wanted mint plant this year, which sits just 25-50cm away from the tomatoes.
Either it's a different mint and only peppermint works, or the plant alone just isn't enough...
BT or real Neem?
Didn't try, but could work
I had some very good experience with lady bugs against aphids. So I was looking for something like that and found a "caterpillar fly" (direct translation, not sure if this is correct. Scientific name: Trichopoda pictipennis)
Maybe I could set them out in my balcony garden. But as it's not a real garden, but only a few larger flower boxes, I'm afraid they won't make it long with an active infestation.
But I also haven't found a shop for them yet and don't know, if they can be applied like lady bugs.
Can't stress enough how well that worked against aphids - and I really like them :-)
With a little "bug hotel" they also came back and tried to settle. But sadly our apartment block had the balconies renovated and I needed to move the hotel and now need to start fresh...