Hello all... me again! My garden seems to attract every pest known to mankind! How do you all handle leaf miners? They are taking over my tomatoes and now my pole green bean leaves as well! I have just ordered some sticky fly traps to hang around each plant. They are supposed to be arriving today, so I’m hoping that will help. I have been checking my plants daily and if I see the little yellow larva in the leaf, I squish it! But this doesn’t seem to be helping much, as everyday, there are more and more new swirly lines on the leaves. I want to stick with natural remedies and not use chemicals, as we will be eating these fruits/veggies. Please help!
Well if you are in south Florida and not using some sort of spray,, you will not be eating much ! Just go to the feed store, or pet store and get some Pyrethrin ! Even your local supermarket will have cat flea spray with this as the active ingredient ! It is certified organic made from chrysanthemums and safe to use ! I use permethrin which is the same thing but a man made version ! Mix as directed but for leaf miners use about a tablespoon per quart of water in a spray bottle and spray top and bottom of leaves, coat the plant well but wait till evening or early morning ! Do not spray when it is hot during mid day ! If they are still there by next day add another teaspoon or so to the spray !
Bacillus thuringiensis (bT): It wont hurt bees or other beneficial insects. Spinosad: Like the permethrins but you can eat it. Kills everything though.
Leaf miners actually don't do that much harm to plants. I ignore them unless I am selling plants when I just remove the offending leaf. I would not want to eat anything sprayed with the chemicals suggested by others. Especially as the plant would need to absorb the stuff to kill the leaf mining insect.
Update: I bought sticky fly traps and hung them around my tomato and green bean plants and they have caught a LOT of tiny flies! And a bunch of love bugs and a couple lizards [didn’t mean for that to happen I also sprayed a mixture of water/neem oil/dish soap all over the leaves and all that seems to be helping! Haven’t noticed any new leaf miner activity on any of the new leaves. Now, I’m waiting to see some flowers!
