TheNaturePlanet

When growing tomatoes on the balcony, pest problems are relatively common. Mastering the types of pests and control methods can effectively reduce losses.

### I. Common Pests and Their Damages
- **Aphids**: They mainly harm young leaves and growing points, causing the leaves to curl and the growth to stagnate. In severe cases, the entire plant will wilt.
- **Whiteflies**: They suck the sap of the leaves, leading to leaf withering and a decrease in fruit quality. Their secretions can easily aggravate sooty mold.
- **Cotton bollworms/Beet armyworms**: They feed on flowers and fruits, causing flower - dropping and fruit rot, which affects the yield.
- **Tea yellow mites**: They are tiny in size and can cause the leaves to become smaller and the fruits to crack, requiring targeted control.

### II. Control Measures
- **Manual Control**: For larvae such as cotton bollworms, regularly check the backs of leaves and the gaps of fruits, and promptly capture and remove them. A small number of aphids and whiteflies can be treated by wiping the leaves or flushing them with water to reduce the pest population.
- **Pesticide Control**
- **Aphids**: Select 22% thiamethoxam - lambda - cyhalothrin micro - capsule suspension concentrate + 70% acetamiprid water - dispersible granules, and spray them after diluting with water.
- **Whiteflies**: Use a mixture of 10% nitenpyram + 20% dinotefuran + 10% pyriproxyfen for spraying, taking into account both adults and eggs.
- **Tea yellow mites**: Use a special acaricide (such as abamectin) and spray it according to the instructions.
- **Environmental Management**: Keep the balcony well - ventilated and well - lit, and avoid excessive watering to prevent high humidity. Regularly clean diseased leaves and fruits to reduce the breeding environment for pests.

In short, as long as pest monitoring and targeted control are well - done, it can help the tomatoes on the balcony grow healthily.