Help, What is this?

[missymiss99]

I have no idea what these little black balls are on all of my herb plants. I have it on a basil, mint and a tomato plant. Also what is going on with my sage and sorrel plant they don't look so nice and they are being eaten. what kind of bug repellant can i use? I would like an all natural one or home made.

Here are pics. It is the first three plants

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81360406@N ... 72bb8fd323

Please Help

Thank you so much

[cynthia_h]

Sorry; can't get the photos to enlarge enough to see what you're asking about. Have you tried the suggestions to post photos here on the forum?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[missymiss99]

I hope this works

Strange Black Balls on basil, mint, and a tomato plant

[applestar]

Those little black "balls" definitely look like frass -- caterpillar poop. Look around especially above where they are. You may need to go out and look after dark since some caterpillars feed at night and hide during the day.

[!potatoes!]

the basil pic sure looks like that, especially with the chewed-off leaf.

the plants, though; the second pic looks to be sage, not mint, and the third...like a fancy sorrel or chard, not tomato.

[gumbo2176]

the basil pic sure looks like that, especially with the chewed-off leaf.

the plants, though; the second pic looks to be sage, not mint, and the third...like a fancy sorrel or chard, not tomato.

Agreed, sage and definitely not tomato for the last picture. The last looks very much like one of my Brite Lights Swiss Chard, only smaller.

[rainbowgardener]

Swiss chard can look like that if it is not doing well, or it could be beets.

And yeah, probably caterpillar droppings. Bt or diatomaceous earth are good against caterpillars (available in garden stores) and are organic, not poisons.

But Bt (sold as Dipel, Thuricide and other names) (it is a bacteria that attacks caterpillars) will also kill butterfly caterpillars, so don't broadcast it around your garden, just where you are seeing the chewed leaves.