Here Come the Tomato Hornworms!!

[Spartanburg123]

I was checking out one of my Rebel Yell plants this morning, and I saw two things of concern: a baby tomato that had hunks chewed out of it, and little piles of caterpillar stool on one of the leaves. Even with my reading glasses on, I could not locate the hornworm- I get them every year. Eating the leaves is one thing, but not the tomatoes! Anyway, any suggestions? I am waiting on the braconid wasps to lay their eggs on these guys. Any insecticides that you can recommend?

Thanks!

Darin

[b54red]

BT will usually control them but if you have to get rid of them urgently use some Sevin and you will find them dead on the ground in and hour or less. I have kept my plants sprayed with BT every 5 days and I haven't had a single hornworm and I also usually have a few plants severely damaged by them by this time of the year.

Bill

[Spartanburg123]

Thanks Bill!! I'll give that a try!

[My Foot Smells]

I use BT as well, works like a charm. Make sure to squirt the tops good. Bout time for me to give mine a good squirt too.

[b54red]

I saw something I have never seen before. Yesterday I was on the back screened in porch to water my suckers and seedlings that are out there and found a 2 1/2 inch tomato hornworm chewing up my small suckers. How he got on the porch is beyond me. He topped about a dozen of my very small root stock that I was rooting. Now he is just a big green spot on the floor.

Haven't seen a single one on my nearly 70 tomato plants in the garden.

Bill

[My Foot Smells]

I tried to stick a fishing hook through one once. Once.

[Chapinz8]

Originally Posted by b54red

I saw something I have never seen before. Yesterday I was on the back screened in porch to water my suckers and seedlings that are out there and found a 2 1/2 inch tomato hornworm chewing up my small suckers. How he got on the porch is beyond me. He topped about a dozen of my very small root stock that I was rooting. Now he is just a big green spot on the floor.

Haven't seen a single one on my nearly 70 tomato plants in the garden.

Bill

Maybe he was a Home Schooled Tomato Hornworm! :lol

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Chapinz8

Maybe he was a Home Schooled Tomato Hornworm! :lol

I would suspect the Mother moth is roosting under the porch some place.

[swellcat]

I tried to stick a fishing hook through one once.

Like a Paul Harvey audience, we're going to need to hear the rest of the story.

[BigVanVader]

I built a shrink ray & have been testing it on mine.

[swellcat]

Even with my reading glasses on, I could not locate the hornworm—I get them every year. Eating the leaves is one thing, but not the tomatoes! Anyway, any suggestions?

A spray of plain water tends to make them writhe, thus giving up their locations.

[MissS]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

I built a shrink ray & have been testing it on mine.

Great invention! Can I order one?

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by swellcat

Like a Paul Harvey audience, we're going to need to hear the rest of the story.

Beforehand, I would pluck the hornworms off the plants and put in a small container, then I would walk down to the boatramp and toss them in the river 1-by-1. Talk about a feeding frenzy, the fish went bananas causing quite a ruckus. I would say the worms didn't last any longer than 3 seconds upon hitting the water.


What a great fishing bait and brings me back to jerk snatching shad. Those that have ever tried to trap/catch shad, know that they die upon the touch and containment and are very difficult to keep alive. But I found out that by using a razor sharp hook, drop the hook into the shad school and give a quick upward jerk, you could hook one - throw it out in the schooling bass and game on.

As a kid, my grandfather (pappy) would soak bagworms in sulpher and use for catfish bait. Caught some big ones on the old white river and Arkansas river. Nothing beats live bait for fishing.

Back to the hornworm. How the incredibly thin skin keeps the inner goo contained is a mystery. I poked the hook through the worm and got slimed and the hooking of matter, which is almost airlike, caused me to hook my finger in the process. The worm turned into a green goo and would not tolerate the hook and was unable to secure a hook on any position of the hornworm. So not only am I nursing a puncture wound, but have a green slimy mess on my hands.

I did not pursue any further, but thought about taping the worm on a hook, etc... these things are irresistible to fish of all kinds. I spray BT yearly or sometimes twice a year. But sometimes the worms arrive before my spray schedule. I've thrown a few on the ground for the chickens, and they are a crowd pleaser for the feathered ones as well.

[hoefarmer]

yes, the hornworms are here. I found one Saturday or rather it found me. Now I am sporting a bruised swollen area from my thumb to 2" below my wrist. Watch out for little buggers.