What's eating my sweet 100 cherry tomato?

Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are prolific but attractive to tomato hornworm, aphids, and especially birds that peck at the ripe clusters. Whitefly is a frequent glasshouse pest. The small, sweet fruits ripen quickly and can split in heavy rain, attracting spotted wing drosophila and other fruit flies if not harvested promptly.

Large caterpillars strip leaves and stems rapidly; frass and skeletal branches are the first visible signs. Inspect plants daily; hand-pick larvae; apply Bt spray targeting early instar caterpillars; parasitic wasps (Cotesia) will self-establish if not sprayed broadly.

Dense colonies on growing tips and flower trusses; honeydew, sooty mould, distorted shoots, and potential mosaic virus spread. Use insecticidal soap spray or a strong water jet; introduce or attract ladybirds and parasitic wasps; reflective mulch deters inbound winged aphids.

Ripe cherry fruits pecked open and partially eaten; multiple fruits damaged per visit, worst as clusters begin to colour. Net plants or individual trusses with fine-mesh bird netting; use reflective tape or fake predator decoys nearby; harvest ripe fruits frequently.

Clouds of tiny white insects on leaf undersides; yellowing leaves, honeydew, sooty mould; serious in warm or greenhouse conditions. Hang yellow sticky traps; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil in the evening; release Encarsia formosa in greenhouses for biological control.