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I prepared seedlings of tomato plants. Now from around a week there are snake like design in leafs. There is some sort of bug inside leaf which is eating. What should i do for it. Can/should i use some pesticide on such small plants?

I live in Jaipur, India. Current temperature ranging between 20-30 degree C.

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Update : soil is a mix of 50% coco peat and 50% of vermi compost. Watering alternate day. They are on roof outside, partial sun. From where these larvas are coming ? Flies? If i spray pesticide wont that help in keeping flies away ?

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Those are just leafminers. Anyway, I'm not sure about on seedlings with few leaves (that might actually be a problem), but they're generally not a big threat to plants, they say.

I would recommend just taking good care of your tomatoes, and maybe using some neem oil on them or something, if you don't like the leaf miners.

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    Contact pesticides will not kill leaf miner larvae that live inside the leaf
    – kevinskio ♦
    Oct 24, 2015 at 23:45
  • What kind of soil did you use? You should be using sterilized potting soil, even potting soil made for starting seed. Where are these plants? Greenhouse, out of doors, inside?? Neem won't help with leaf miners as kevinsky said! And using pesticides with stuff you want to eat is not something you want to do. I'd start new seed, fresh potting soil, clean trays with bleach. Fertilize once they have 2 sets of leaves with low or equal Nitrogen in relation to Phosphorus and Potassium! Send a bit more info...type of soil, watering habits...
    – stormy
    Oct 25, 2015 at 0:26
  • @stormy please see updated question.
    – Saurabh
    Oct 25, 2015 at 14:11
  • @stormy can i use NPK in ratio of 21-21-21 on tomatoes?
    – Saurabh
    Oct 25, 2015 at 14:13
  • Yes 21-21-21 would be just fine at the beginning...but this percentage means you use very little on these baby plants. You need to upgrade the healthy starts into slightly larger pots. Leaf miners aren't usually a death sentence for larger more vigorous plants but for starts...kind of weird. I would certainly try repotting, MORE light, less water. There is a window of time where those flies lay their eggs and are gone. Then the larvae making those tunnels also fly away. I would not use any pesticide at this point, just get your plants healthy. Careful with fertilizer, just a bit.
    – stormy
    Oct 26, 2015 at 19:49

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