Are these aphids?

[TwinCitiesPanda]

These are all over my tomatoes and peppers and favor the leaves of lower branches that had contact with the ground. They don’t look like what I’m used to, but some photos online look close-ish. Also an unidentified larva. Will Neem oil work to treat? I removed heavily-infested branches, but when I tried clearing the rest by hand they kind jumped everywhere.

 

[ducks4you]

I did some searches and although nobody's photos look like yours, I tend to think that they are aphids. You need some predators. If you can purchase a couple of praying mantis, that would Help. Also, you need some flowers by your vegetable garden. Flowers attract birds which eat some pests and the flowers ALSO attract beneficial predatory insects.
https://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-use-predator-insects-to-control-garden-pests/
"Give the good bugs a chance to do their jobs! Keep your garden watered and free of chemicals, particularly pesticides. Don’t rake up every fallen leaf, and leave a little bit of litter for shelter and egg laying. Also, try to keep something blooming in your garden to provide pollen and nectar. Wildflowers are especially attractive to beneficial predators."

 

[TwinCitiesPanda]

I do have flowers by the veggies. Only the marigolds have bloomed so far. Snapdragons, zinnias, and nasturtiums haven’t bloomed yet

 

[flowerbug]

These are all over my tomatoes and peppers and favor the leaves of lower branches that had contact with the ground. They don’t look like what I’m used to, but some photos online look close-ish. Also an unidentified larva. Will Neem oil work to treat? I removed heavily-infested branches, but when I tried clearing the rest by hand they kind jumped everywhere.

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they might be, but the pictures aren't clear enough for me to make out some details. i thought that aphids did not have a distinct segment for the head, but perhaps there are some species that do. i've been looking...

can you get a clearer picture?

as far as a control of them the lady bug larvae are voracious eaters of aphids so if you can go out and collect some they will help, but it may take some time.

the good news is that tomato plants can usually withstand a fair amount of feeding by aphids. pick off the worst leaves and get some ladybugs is my hesitant recommendation (not knowing for sure if those are actually aphids or not).

 

[digitS']

Plant lice, aphids, bugs willing to suck the life outta your plants ... They come in various colors. Wikipedia says, even within the same species. Trees in my neighborhood were socked by black aphids last year. Terrible mess beneath the trees! I don't remember seeing black aphids on these trees, before. And, it didn't seem to matter what species of trees - those bugs were everywhere!

I know that I complain some about the English sparrows but they perform a service for me most years. Yes, peppers seem to be a special treat for aphids. As soon as I can get the peppers outdoors from the greenhouse, I see the sparrows going through them. Those few bugs, on small plants, the sparrows do yeoman service cleaning them in a few hours.

Will Neem oil work to treat?

Yes, but a caution: I suppose that our sunlight is on the intense side - 2,000 feet elevation, semi-arid environment. Neem can burn the foliage. It is probably best for gardeners to always spray in the late afternoon, nearing sundown. Extra caution would be rinsing the plants with the hose the next morning.

@hoodat was a TEG advocate of neem and I became willing to try it again. The first time,I sprayed a single broccoli plant late in the morning. It didn't kill the plant but I no longer remember if it ever produced buds. It just suspended growth and sat in the garden.

Also an unidentified larva.

Can't identify either.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Aphids. Please keep them. Little devils are born pregnant. Make rabbits look like slow reproducers. We get them when they are picked up by storms and brought to us from Minnesota.

 

[Collector]

They look like aphid larva to me but I am no expert. I think neem will work good for that, I used it last year on our corn and it worked great. Good luck and keep us posted on progress.

 

[thistlebloom]

They look like aphids to me, but you said they jumped, and that throws me off. Aphids are very stationary..

Ladybug larvae eat a lot of aphids, but if you are going to get some predators look at green lacewings. They make ladybugs look like slackers, and they don't tend to fly off to the neighbors like the ladybugs do.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

My neighbor told me to make a spray out of peppers. I could not get my sprayer to work, so I took cayenne pepper and sprinkled all over my kale and collards and then when they got watered it all ran everywhere. It did help.

 

[seedcorn]

They look like aphids to me, but you said they jumped, and that throws me off. Aphids are very stationary..

Ladybug larvae eat a lot of aphids, but if you are going to get some predators look at green lacewings. They make ladybugs look like slackers, and they don't tend to fly off to the neighbors like the ladybugs do.

Aphids, once they multiply, develop wings and move on. Of course they are pregnant with pregnant offspring. Which is why predators are of limited use.