What are the little red bugs with black legs on my cucumbers and tomatoes? Sounds like either immature leaf-footed bugs, which are undesirable insects, or similar-looking young milkweed assassin bugs, which are beneficial insects. The flowers in your photos are balling, a condition caused by the environment, insects and disease. Thrips are tiny, dark insects that typically don't cause true balling, but they can keep buds from opening correctly. Ladybugs, big-eyed bugs, lacewings and beneficial nematodes are thrip predators. Botrytis blight is a fungal disease that overwinters in leaf litter and germinates in spring. Optimum conditions for development are high humidity and cool temperatures (70-75 degrees). Botrytis-triggered balling causes a gray mold to form inside the petals, fusing them together and preventing them from opening. Cut off malformed buds to reduce disease-causing spores and then apply a fungicide spray. Some experts say that eliminating overhead watering and improving air circulation around the plants can reduce balling in susceptible roses.
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