Horn Worms

pauladkins · July 21, 2015

I get them every season, but they are showing up all ready. I found a dozen real small ones eating my plants. I have a blacklight I use at night which helps them show up. What do others use to stop these guys?

TexasTycoon · July 21, 2015

Pick off the ones you see and destroy as you see fit (feed to chickens, toss into the street, chop in half, drop into soapy water, etc.). I've only had one this season and I read that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) keeps them at bay. I have a mosquito dunk (which is solid Bt) in my watering can at all times to keep fungus gnats out of my containers, so I think it's doing double duty and keeping the hornworms away as well. Also you might wanna check your soil for cocoons.

ricman · July 21, 2015

BT is what I use.

Rick

Worth1 · July 21, 2015

Here is the life of a horn worm.
The worm starts turning dark and goes into the soil and becomes what is called a chrysalis.
IMG_20150721_11789.jpg

Worth1 · July 21, 2015

Stupid phone.

Salsacharley · July 21, 2015

I'm using BT for the first time and I haven't had one of those dirty rotten stinkin plant eating good fer nothin...uh....you know.....this year. I was plagued last year.

pauladkins · July 21, 2015

I have never used BT. I guess it's safe to use? I usually hand pick them at night with my blacklight. So the young ones hatch in the soil & then climb up the plant. Should I mix some BT in a watering can like TexasTycoon & water the soil or drench the plant? Right now they are curled in the leaf they are eating. I have never had them this early in CA, but we are on year 4 of a drought.

Worth1 · July 21, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauladkins

I have never used BT. I guess it's safe to use? I usually hand pick them at night with my blacklight. So the young ones hatch in the soil & then climb up the plant. Should I mix some BT in a watering can like TexasTycoon & water the soil or drench the plant? Right now they are curled in the leaf they are eating. I have never had them this early in CA, but we are on year 4 of a drought.

The chrysalis in the soil turns into the moth the moth lays eggs on the plant the eggs hatch into worms.
Worth

Kikaida · July 21, 2015

I got a sacrificial plant that hadn't produced well early in the season and is just a huge salad bar for these guys...My other plants have been left alone. If they get greedy, they get the BT.

My Foot Smells · July 21, 2015

Yup. BT gets the job done. Always squirt the plants this time of year, whether I see one or not. BT is one of the safest and least harmful, imo.

pauladkins · July 21, 2015

Great info guys. I will give it a try & hope it slows them down. I try not to use any chemicals. I do use Safer insecticide soap, but it doesn't work that well. Can anyone tell me how a large horn worm will react to the BT?

Salsacharley · July 21, 2015

BT paralyzes the worm's digestive system so they can't eat. Whatever size they are when the plant is treated will cause them to die very shortly. That's why it is recommended to treat the plant prior to any horn worm damage as a preventative, then the worms die when they are small before you can even see damage.

pauladkins · July 21, 2015

Got it Salsacharley. I will mix up a tank & let them have it.

b54red · July 21, 2015

BT works good for most of the horn worms unless it is raining frequently and then I will dose them with a little Sevin dust because it kills them almost immediately. I have had very few horn worms this year because it seems the over abundance of wasps have taken care of them. I also have a ton of Assassin bugs roaming my plants this year; but I don't know if they go after worms or not but I haven't had but a few. I used BT once early in the season when I had a few horn worms and fruit worms but I haven't had a problem with either for months now.

Bill

Tim Lazer · July 22, 2015

Hi from Sacramento!! Last year i had a big problem with the hornworms. I read on a post that compost tea or worm casting tea works. So i made a worm casting tea and sprayed my plants about 6-7 weeks ago and haven't had one this year. Coincidence or solution, I'm not sure but I'm going to spray again.

July 21, 2015	#1
pauladkins Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: ca Posts: 34	Horn Worms I get them every season, but they are showing up all ready. I found a dozen real small ones eating my plants. I have a blacklight I use at night which helps them show up. What do others use to stop these guys?

July 21, 2015	#2
TexasTycoon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Round Rock, TX, Zone 8b Posts: 1,157	Pick off the ones you see and destroy as you see fit (feed to chickens, toss into the street, chop in half, drop into soapy water, etc.). I've only had one this season and I read that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) keeps them at bay. I have a mosquito dunk (which is solid Bt) in my watering can at all times to keep fungus gnats out of my containers, so I think it's doing double duty and keeping the hornworms away as well. Also you might wanna check your soil for cocoons. __________________ -Kelly "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." - Audrey Hepburn Bloom where you are planted.

July 21, 2015	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Here is the life of a horn worm. The worm starts turning dark and goes into the soil and becomes what is called a chrysalis. IMG_20150721_11789.jpg Last edited by Worth1; July 21, 2015 at 06:07 PM.

July 21, 2015	#9
Kikaida Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 258	I got a sacrificial plant that hadn't produced well early in the season and is just a huge salad bar for these guys...My other plants have been left alone. If they get greedy, they get the BT. __________________ Fun FIRST, safety second...

July 21, 2015	#3
ricman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ardmore,Oklahoma Posts: 172	BT is what I use. Rick

July 21, 2015	#6
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	I'm using BT for the first time and I haven't had one of those dirty rotten stinkin plant eating good fer nothin...uh....you know.....this year. I was plagued last year.

July 21, 2015	#10
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	Yup. BT gets the job done. Always squirt the plants this time of year, whether I see one or not. BT is one of the safest and least harmful, imo.

July 21, 2015	#14
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	BT works good for most of the horn worms unless it is raining frequently and then I will dose them with a little Sevin dust because it kills them almost immediately. I have had very few horn worms this year because it seems the over abundance of wasps have taken care of them. I also have a ton of Assassin bugs roaming my plants this year; but I don't know if they go after worms or not but I haven't had but a few. I used BT once early in the season when I had a few horn worms and fruit worms but I haven't had a problem with either for months now. Bill

July 22, 2015	#15
Tim Lazer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Sacramento Ca Posts: 7	Hi from Sacramento!! Last year i had a big problem with the hornworms. I read on a post that compost tea or worm casting tea works. So i made a worm casting tea and sprayed my plants about 6-7 weeks ago and haven't had one this year. Coincidence or solution, I'm not sure but I'm going to spray again.