|
| These guys just started showing up about a week ago. I check all the plants in the morning before work and then several times in the afternoon/evening. I've killed 12 so far in the last week. If they weren't so damn destructive they might be considered pretty. But all I see are devious monsters sucking the life out of my beautiful tomato plants.
|
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| I never once saw one of these (or their damage) on my (or my dad's when I was little) tomatoes. But one year I had one decimate a jalapeno plant. I haven't seen one again since, and I really hope never to! |
|
| I would be inclined to spray with Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis spp. Kurstaki) and/or order some Trichogramma parasites which attack the eggs of hornworms,or Hyposoter exiguae, a parasitic wasp, parasitizes caterpillars. Otherwise you have to pick and destroy them. Betsy |
|
| If you see one with egg sacks/larva across its back, don't kill it. The larva is from the parasitic wasp that Besty mentioned. Generally, I don't get a lot horn worms, but when I do, I almost always have one that has larva attached. I continue to kill the others. |
|
- Posted by austinnhanasmom 5 CO (My Page) on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 13:12
| The moth is pretty cool, that these become. I've seen them flying around flowers, like a hummingbird. I pick the worms off and let the kids torture them for a while. But if they get away from the kids, they end up back on my tomatoes. I have grown sacrificial plants for the captured worms, but the worms know and leave the plant! I have never allowed the worms to stay on my plant long enough for the wasp larvae to hatch. It seems like the whole plant could be destroyed by then. And in my small garden, I may have only one plant per variety. I think that the eggs are laid in the fall and hatch in the spring. The worms start out tiny and grow quickly. I have tried companion planting, and have borage, marigolds and calendula readily reseed near my tomatoes. I still end up with hornworms. |
|
- Posted by Kalie_Florida 9a (My Page) on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 16:23
| I don't want to spray anything on the tomatoes because I think it affects the taste and I'm also uncertain to the long-term affects of consuming food sprayed with pesticides... So for now it is just up to checking as much as possible and pulling the worms off when I see them. They definitely grow fast! This picture is from the first time I saw these worms. (You have to look closely to see because they completely blend in with the leaves. Good thing I am always checking for aphids so I caught the arrival of these things. Within a week they were showing up the size of the picture in the first post. CRAZY! I hope they stop coming soon. |
|
- Posted by dog_wood_2010 7 (My Page) on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 17:39
| I have a few options for you. 1) Companion plantings: Try planting Marigolds, basil, onions. They produces a pungent odor that keeps many pests away. 2) Sprinkle Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth around the base of each plant. It also adds many beneficial trace elements to the ground. It's real cheap at the box stores. 3) insecticidal soap. Try any or all of these and good luck. |
|
- Posted by spicymeatball none (My Page) on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 18:01
| My father gets them bad. One will destroy a plant in 12 hours. The only good way to get rid of them is to find them an kill them. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Growing Tomatoes Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
