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Colorado Potato Beetle on Tomatoes: Identification and Control

The larvae feeding on your tomatoes are Colorado potato beetle larvae. Despite the name, they love all nightshades: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants.

Hand-picking is effective for small plantings. Any garden insecticide (spinosad, neem, pyrethrin, carbaryl) controls them. Check leaf undersides for orange egg masses and crush them.

potato beetle adult

About Gardening: Silver Beetle on Sweet Potato Vine: Likely Flea Beetle; Potato Plants Producing Tomato-Like Fruit: Solanaceae Surprise; Managing Colorado Potato Beetles in Your Garden; Pruning Indeterminate Tomatoes: Pinching for Manageable Height and Better Fruit Protection; Identifying Heirloom Tomato Varieties; Tomato Fruitworm: Also Eats Leaves; Tomato Fruit Cracking: Small Pots Cause Moisture Swings; Colorado Potato Beetles on Tomatoes: Hand-Pick for Control; Why Tomato Flowers Drop and Fruit Looks Deformed: Pollination Solutions; Tiny Holes in Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine Leaves

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