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marie99_gw

hornworms and Japanese beetles

marie99
18 years ago

I've got hornworms up to here and no matter how many I kill, there's still more.

I'm even considering not having a tomato garden next year to see if that would eliminate the hornworm population for the following years.

Would that do it?

Comments (3)

  • Tomato_Worm59
    18 years ago

    Marie, I wish I had YOUR "problem!" LOL! I really like tobacco hornworms, though they are still not my most favorite sphingids. Don't get discouraged. If you have the room plant more tomatoes. In fact, I'm giving away free ass't tomato seeds just for that purpose. I recommend planting the HW's maters not next to the ones you want. makes a good habitat and guarantees some cool moths anyway.

    Now here's a folk remedy you may experiment with. I can't do it, because I really have NO HW's to speak of. Take 1-2 hornworms and 1 cup of water and pulverize in a blender. Yeah, I know this KILLs them, but heck, they die quickly. Pour the mixture in a spray bottle and spray your mater plans. Please try this and tell me if this really works. This will NOT leave any toxic residue on the edible fruits, which you wash anyway before eating. I'm told it diverts the moths. I hope it does. I'd much rather see a few caterpillars die than the whole lot of them if they are not welcome in the garden in the first place.

    Now Jap beetles are a different story. I wish we could kill ALL of them. They are NOT native and only compete with native species for food/habitat as well as destroy everything they can get on. At least tobacco HW's won't bother your roses.

  • marie99
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I have been cutting them in half with scissors. I can't bring them in the house and put them in the blender. Just ick. But there are loads of chopped up dead ones on the ground until something eats them.

  • Tomato_Worm59
    18 years ago

    Well you can use Bt, but unfortunately, it won't harm the Japanese beetles. I wish you had the nerve to try the experiment. I actually enjoy just holding and playing with the big caterpillars. I don't enjoy killing them, but sometimes have to. Maybe you can just plant extra tomatoes. Some say cilantro works, but others say it's not positive. I love these leps and believe in protecting them as much as possible, but I am also a researcher, dedicated to finding effective ways to control them, not just by killing what's there, but preventing their arrival in the first place. Such is why I am not bothered by killing a few to make a repellant, which in the long run, will save more of them by keeping them on "their side of the fence."

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