Total absence of hornworms this year...why? - Page 2

veggie babe · August 11, 2009

tell me more about japanese beetles, this is my first experiece with them. On the internet it list them as a benefical insect

however the rascals ate most of the leaves off my eggplants last week. JB did not harm any other plant that I know about, they are ugly little things.

neva

Blueaussi · August 11, 2009

For real? There's a site that lists Japanese beetles as a beneficial? Can you post a link?

They do a tremendous amount of damage to so many plants in North America, I can't believe anyone would list them as beneficial.

BigdaddyJ · August 12, 2009

I seldom get hornworms. I think the birds take care of them. When I saw one years ago it had the white wasp eggs all over it.

Here's my phenomenon...NO JAPANESE BEETLES! NONE! NADA! ZIPPO! Never, I repeat NEVER, in my 19 years gardening here has that ever happened! Too cool a summer? The floods drowned them? Swine Grub pandemic? My prayers actually worked? I have entered into the twilight zone for sure....?????????

geeboss · August 12, 2009

I too haven't seen but a few Japanese Beetles this year and No Hornworms yet. So far so good. Counting my blessings only 1 tomato half eaten and a few that the stinkbugs poked holes in.

George

Barbee · August 12, 2009

Same here. I saw a couple of JB's early in the summer in my hummer feeder, drowned (yay) and I remember thinking how early they had arrived. But that's it and no damage to anything that I can see.
That never ever happens. But I ain't complaining!

Blueaussi · August 12, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigdaddyJ

I seldom get hornworms. I think the birds take care of them. When I saw one years ago it had the white wasp eggs all over it.

Here's my phenomenon...NO JAPANESE BEETLES! NONE! NADA! ZIPPO! Never, I repeat NEVER, in my 19 years gardening here has that ever happened! Too cool a summer? The floods drowned them? Swine Grub pandemic? My prayers actually worked? I have entered into the twilight zone for sure....?????????

In the true spirit of Tomatoville sharing, I will generously ship my Japanese Beetles to you. No, No, don't think me! Sharing is part of the culture of this community, and I'm just trying to fit in.

Nightshade · August 12, 2009

And, following Bluaussi's sterling example, I will throw in a free pack of ground squirrels to the first ten posters who reply to this thread.

4 O'clocks are supposed to be a good trap crop for Japanese Beetles, and they are about the easiest plant to grow from seed, even here in these conditions.

As for the Hornworms, I haven't seen any at all either. In some places, I have Summerlong Basil growing in the same container with a tomato plant , so that might account for those. But I still several plants without that protection, and no hornworms!

I thought perhaps the smell of the coco shell mulch i'm using this year masked the tomato smell that the hummingbird moth is supposedly attacted to. I no longer notice that heavy chocolate smell, so it has probably faded by now, but i'm trying the vinegar-on-rags-mammal-repellent thing right now. If the moths stop by, maybe that acrid smell will disquise the enticing tomato perfume and I'll have a totally hornworm free year!

jan

veggie babe · August 13, 2009

sorry, I don't have that web site.....................I just googled black beetles to start with because I wasn't sure what I had in my garden. I finally found JB and idenitifed the little bugger with the help of a picture.

neva

rutabagaboy · August 20, 2009

I have one tomato plant at home - Sun Gold.

I found this today:
TomatoHornWorm1.jpg

Parental Advisory: The following photo is graphic and not suitable for all audiences.

A good tomato horn worm!
TomatoHornWorm2.jpg
(The only good tomato horn worm is a DEAD tomato horn worm.)

RJ_Hythloday · August 21, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rutabagaboy

I found this today:

Wow that was huge,

Haven't seen any horn worms, I did have a ton of Japanese beetles decimate my pole beans, but they left the corn alone, I'm considering planting the same pole beans as a trap crop...

Lots of June Bugs, and Lots of leaf footed bugs. I never saw the SVB moth, but SVB destroyed my acorn squash and volunteer pumpkins got ripped out, I was late in detecting them.

Cuke beetles starting to lay eggs on my baby pam pie pumpkins now, but not too bad and I've been removing the eggs as I find them.

Had some black swallowtail cats on my parley, brought them indoors for the kids, had one hatch out and the rest in cocoons now.

Haven't seen any cuke beetle eggs on my cukes but they sure are ugly looking leaves, not sure how much more of a season I'll get out of the cukes.

DuckCreekFarms · August 21, 2009

I picked 7 hornworms off just one plant just this morning! I know there are more.... Just about every ripe fruit I have had has had a Fruit worm......Also the spider mites, stink bugs and blister beetles are hidious this year!

August 12, 2009	#18
BigdaddyJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Zone7 Delaware Posts: 399	I seldom get hornworms. I think the birds take care of them. When I saw one years ago it had the white wasp eggs all over it. Here's my phenomenon...NO JAPANESE BEETLES! NONE! NADA! ZIPPO! Never, I repeat NEVER, in my 19 years gardening here has that ever happened! Too cool a summer? The floods drowned them? Swine Grub pandemic? My prayers actually worked? I have entered into the twilight zone for sure....????????? __________________ Farmer at Heart

August 12, 2009	#20
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Same here. I saw a couple of JB's early in the summer in my hummer feeder, drowned (yay) and I remember thinking how early they had arrived. But that's it and no damage to anything that I can see. That never ever happens. But I ain't complaining! __________________ *Barbee*

August 11, 2009	#16
veggie babe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: east texas Posts: 686	tell me more about japanese beetles, this is my first experiece with them. On the internet it list them as a benefical insect however the rascals ate most of the leaves off my eggplants last week. JB did not harm any other plant that I know about, they are ugly little things. neva

August 11, 2009	#17
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	For real? There's a site that lists Japanese beetles as a beneficial? Can you post a link? They do a tremendous amount of damage to so many plants in North America, I can't believe anyone would list them as beneficial.

August 12, 2009	#19
geeboss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Fairfax, VA Z7 Posts: 524	I too haven't seen but a few Japanese Beetles this year and No Hornworms yet. So far so good. Counting my blessings only 1 tomato half eaten and a few that the stinkbugs poked holes in. George

August 12, 2009	#22
Nightshade Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: So. California Posts: 178	And, following Bluaussi's sterling example, I will throw in a free pack of ground squirrels to the first ten posters who reply to this thread. 4 O'clocks are supposed to be a good trap crop for Japanese Beetles, and they are about the easiest plant to grow from seed, even here in these conditions. As for the Hornworms, I haven't seen any at all either. In some places, I have Summerlong Basil growing in the same container with a tomato plant , so that might account for those. But I still several plants without that protection, and no hornworms! I thought perhaps the smell of the coco shell mulch i'm using this year masked the tomato smell that the hummingbird moth is supposedly attacted to. I no longer notice that heavy chocolate smell, so it has probably faded by now, but i'm trying the vinegar-on-rags-mammal-repellent thing right now. If the moths stop by, maybe that acrid smell will disquise the enticing tomato perfume and I'll have a totally hornworm free year! jan

August 13, 2009	#23
veggie babe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: east texas Posts: 686	sorry, I don't have that web site.....................I just googled black beetles to start with because I wasn't sure what I had in my garden. I finally found JB and idenitifed the little bugger with the help of a picture. neva

August 20, 2009	#24
rutabagaboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Near Sacramento, California Posts: 322	I have one tomato plant at home - Sun Gold. I found this today: TomatoHornWorm1.jpg Parental Advisory: The following photo is graphic and not suitable for all audiences. A good tomato horn worm! TomatoHornWorm2.jpg (The only good tomato horn worm is a DEAD tomato horn worm.)

August 21, 2009	#26
DuckCreekFarms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mounds, Oklahoma Posts: 257	I picked 7 hornworms off just one plant just this morning! I know there are more.... Just about every ripe fruit I have had has had a Fruit worm......Also the spider mites, stink bugs and blister beetles are hidious this year!