Tomato Hornworms!!!!

sherryeo 9/5/2011, 1:33 pm

I haven't been able to get to my garden much in the last few days due to the almost constant rain (still raining more often than not) from Lee. But it let up a bit just now and I went outside to look at my garden. Well, I first found one huge hornworm on one of my tomato plants. Then, knowing that where there's one there's probably more, I checked out my other tomato and pepper plants! I found 7 more, in various stages ranging from tiny to huge.

Needless to say, they were quickly dispatched to whatever serves as the hornworm afterlife. I prefer to think of them in a rather fiery, hot, uncomfortable nightmare of a place rather than in a hornworm heaven where they can happily munch on garden plants for eternity! Grrrrr!!!!

stripesmom 9/5/2011, 3:00 pm

I found one yesterday eating a tomato. I have never seen them this late in the year, so it was a surprise to me. On the other hand, by now, my tomato plants are usually almost done for because of blight. This year, they are still looking good and producing tomatoes.

**llama momma** 9/5/2011, 3:22 pm

Hormworms - I found 3 of them so far. One was huge like my thumb and two babies. Managed to peel them off the branches, looked around, noticed the bird feeder 50 feet away. Put them in there. I hear mockingbirds, bluebirds, and cowbirds will eat them. Thankfully those birds hang out around here.

NHGardener 9/5/2011, 9:42 pm

Only 3? You're lucky. I've pulled probably 30 off my 8 tomato plants so far. Even the past few days I found 3 - one 4"er, one 3"er and one tiny little inchworm of a hornworm.

Wow are they prevalent. They came out of nowhere my first summer of having a garden. Next spring I'm keeping a big eye open for those large moths. I'm also moving my tomatoes to a different spot.

I watch in delight as the chickens take care of them. One thing I do like about the food chain.

Chopper 9/5/2011, 11:52 pm

That is interesting. Every year I grow tomatoes I find ONE hornworm. Not per plant - total. Weird, huh?

Denese 9/6/2011, 8:20 am

Chopper wrote:

That is interesting. Every year I grow tomatoes I find ONE hornworm. Not per plant - total. Weird, huh?

I also had only 1. I must admit that I was REALLY surprised. Shocked

I kept searching for days, but never had another. My biggest pest this year was the cabbage worms on my brussel sprouts. I picked for several days, but finally had got them all. Now I've noticed the little white moths fluttering around again, so I've been squishing eggs everyday. Gonna try to get out and get some tulle today.

Lindacol 9/6/2011, 1:22 pm

Chopper wrote:That is interesting. Every year I grow tomatoes I find ONE hornworm. Not per plant - total. Weird, huh?

About a month ago I also found one tiny hornworm. That day I sprayed with BT and abut 2 days later when pruning the toms I found another dead one hanging on a leaf. Haven't seen any more.

I had sprayed BT a couple of times earlier but the last time was probably 6 weeks before for SVB.

NHGardener 9/6/2011, 3:53 pm

What's BT again?

**Furbalsmom** 9/6/2011, 4:06 pm

BT is Bacillus Thuringiensis (print is really small, but that is close)

You can buy it under trade names of Safer Caterpillar Killer, Dipel or Thuricide.

It is an organic product used for cabbage moth caterpillars also called cabbage worms, tomato hornworms and gypsy moth caterpillars.

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