I saw a user using a cheap tulle netting from Wal-Mart fabric dept. to control different types of pests (psyllid not mentioned). I'm thinking of getting some myself. I believe they were using it specifically to protect individual fruits/truss while they were ripening but you could make a great big bag out of it with a drawsting bottom pretty easily I think. I don't think it would block out that much sun but am still thinking about this. Sorry I don't have much experience with this but I also have the psyllid infestation on one plant, see where I posted in your earlier thread.

Good luck and keep us updated on what you are doing to get these buggers!

Okay, I've been out with my 3 potted plants on my patio and have picked off several of the adult winged psyllids. I believe that is what they are. Tiny, black bodies, clear wings. Easy to smush where they sit, easy to pick off with tweezers, then smush. I also got one of what I believe is an adult whitefly, and one adult flea beetle. I saw a lot of eggs and/or pupae that I picked/scraped off of bottoms of leaves. No larvae or nymphs. I'm going to have to get some Neem and Safer Sun Spray on them stat it seems.

Anyway, after seeing the size of the adults I am not sure that tulle would do it. They are pretty tiny bugs. Anyway, when I get out to get the spray, I'm also going to take a look at some tulle. It may be a couple of days but I'll let you know what I think.

Brightest news is that I got into my flowers on all my plants and of the flowers that have been there for a week or so looks like I have 100% fruit set. Whoopie! Hope I can get the bug situation under control so these fruit don't have maturation problems.

I'm not sure if that tiny, black-bodied thing you're seeing is a psyllid. I have those too, but they seem to just get hung up on the hairs of the tomato and die. Psyllids are about the same size, but have a clearly visibly white band on them. My black things with the clear wings have no white band and are skinnier in the body than the psyllids.

I've seen a floating row cover called Harvest Guard, but the pictures don't show enough to tell if it would stop something as small as an aphid or a psyllid. Anybody have any hints as to what we should be using to keep these very small things out?

PS... I've been looking at tulle fabrics in the local mart and the mesh looks far too wide open to deter something as small as a winged psyllid -- are the Harvest Guard or what-have-you (please suggest a name) smaller in holes than tulle?

It's hard to imagine using a covering on tomato plants. I use the insect barrier fabric from GardensAlive on my veggies. It comes in 8' X 20' each, super light weight, and lets in 95% of sun. It works great stopping flea beatles from eating my plants.

Obviously, You would be limiting bees from helping the pollenation process as soon as you cover up the plants.

Peaceful Valley Organic Garden Supply carries row covers of different thicknesses. One of them is really thin and light, and should keep out about any size bug you can imagine. I would think the problem would be in keeping out what is already on the ground and under the surface.
Mrs H

Tomatoes don't need bees to pollinate, just vibration. You might want to shake the plants occasionally to compensate for the lack of breezes, but they should otherwise be fine.

I've been trying to find a cheap place to buy bridal tulle -- if you look in a real fabric store, they have stuff that's incredibly fine and sheer. I want it for a project I'm doing with whiteflies, so I need it pretty fine... but the kind I have my eye on at the fabric store goes for $8/yard. yikes.

It's out there, just keep hunting. Talk to bridal, fabric, and craft stores to see whether they have any ideas.

--Alison

Yow torquil, I didn't realize tulle could cost that much..... on the other hand, if it means more tomatoes, I'll probably go for it! I'm an addict and wait all year for this. I just hate to see these little buggers knocking out the plants -- jeez, its not fair! I don't mind a little predation (I even put up with the rats stealing a few), but this idea of a bug that poisons the whole plant just by sucking on it in a little tiny space is driving me nuts!!!

Mrs H, I'll take a look at the Peaceful Valley stuff and see if it looks fine enough to deter the fliers -- For the next round, I don't have to worry about ground or stem stuff because I'll be planting in pots (all my tomatoes are in large containers) and can "bag" the plants right to the dirt in the pot. I think that should eliminate anything that might be running around in the potting soil. I'm happy to jiggle and or paintbrush to pollinate (since I only have 5 pots running at any time). I'm guessing I'll be ok if I can just barricade out the incoming fliers.

--Tuesday

Oh, I forgot or didn't realize you were in pots. Yeah, this should really work for you. Hope some of the bags you are looking at work out.

Ok. Tulle? No. The mesh is not tight enough and wont keep out all the little critters. I did a little research: forget about the popular DIY stores, u know the ones. they dont have enough variety/sizes and u’ll pay too much.

Amazon always comes to the rescue!! Search Garden Mesh Netting. i sent a couple back bc they seemed too flimsy. Settled on Yelusens, from China I’m sure, bc it seems much sturdier. The material is polyester. i ddn’t see that when I ordered it, turns out its way sturdier.

HINT: Be sure to order 2 feet wider in width so u have enough to avoid stretching over plants. Just today I put mine up on my 1st raised 8x4’ 12” deep bed. I used 3 1/2”x10’ pvc pipe and bent them across the width by just pushing them into the soil at the corners. i temporarily weighed the mesh down with bricks.

Sorry, thats another story.

Hope this helps u all out there! Here’s to a bumper crop this year!!

That reminds me - its cocktail hr in Dallas. Cheers!