Tomato fruit worm - Pix

[Lee]

Here's a couple of photos of my most recent nemesis for this gardening season.
The dreaded tomato fruit worm. (Also known as the corn earworm if found nibbling your kernels.)

I've lost 12~15 fruit to these critters this year, and probably saved 20+ more through twice a day inspections of the plants.
They start by eating the foliage and quickly progress towards
the fruit.
I haven't tried any dusts or sprays, preferring to squish and hopefully encourage a natural predator to establish itself, so I don't have to constantly be on the hunt.

Lee

[b54red]

I had them really bad for a while last July when it was raining almost every day for over a month. I tried bt to no avail and ended up using some Sevin which was very effective; but I waited too late to use it and it cost me a lot of tomatoes.

[feldon30]

I lost 2/3 of the fruit on a Cherokee Purple plant as a result of them before. I otherwise would have had 30 fruit from a Cherokee Purple plant! No small feat in Houston.

I now use BT liquid. The dust is impossible to get where I want it (I realize there are applicators).