Examine your plants carefully. Tomato horn worms are about the size of your pinkie. They are extremely well camouflaged and can eat a lot in a short time.

Jim

Deleting duplicate post.

Jim

This post was edited by jimster on Sat, Jul 13, 13 at 15:07

Photos of what you are most likely looking for. Newly hatched can be as small as 1" but they grow quickly. If you only have a few plants just pick them off and squish them. If lots of plants then BT dust or spray (Dipel) is the treatment of choice.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Hornworm pics

Jeff where do you live? what garden zone? If in the south or southwest also look for small black beetles as it is almost Blister Beetle time here and they do similar damage but are much easier to see.

Dave.

Aren't those tomato horn worms just the cutest little beasties????? Once you find one, your eyes will become accustomed to finding them. BT dust is the best -- hand-picking/squishing is fine but it is hard to find them all. I have heard that taking a black light out at night is also a great way to find them all - they turn day-glow green. Still - BT is perfectly safe, so use it.

The way I find them is if I happen to see their black "droppings" which have usually fallen to a leaf below. If I look to the leaves or stems above the droppings and I usually will find one. Pulled off 6 so far this year using that technique.