Will Neem Kill Hornworms?

**mdvpc** · July 5, 2013

I always use BT but my daughter in law has hornworms, and has Neem. I have never used Neem on my plants for hornworms-do you think it will work on getting rid of the nasties? I pick them off also, if I can find them, but I think she will be too squeamish to do that.

b54red · July 5, 2013

If she doesn't have BT then she can use Sevin. I don't think Neem will get rid of them. When I have used it in the past it didn't seem to bother them. Picking them off is great if you can find them. I sometimes feel like I'm going nuts looking at a vine for so long and not seeing what is obviously a huge hornworm eating away and other times they stand out like a neon sign.

Bill

indigosand · July 6, 2013

Nope. I use neem and have massive big-as-my-thumb worms I've been picking off. If I didn't have greedy little worm loving chickens to toss them to, I'd use BT. You can find them most easily very early in the morning when they crawl to the top of the plants to eat the youngest foliage.

**mdvpc** · July 6, 2013

Yeah, thats what I thought. I need her to get some spinosad. Thanks for the help.

matilda'skid · July 12, 2013

I am finding big tomatoes blushing now and they have holes in the fruit which causes rot. Since some of the organic type bacterial products make me sick, I am looking for the least toxic pesticide that will work on worms. I have a red bottle of Sevin which connects to the hose. I have only used it under my elm to kill cicadas in copperhead season (July). If I don't use it I have snakes coming in the back door. It is easy to use but I hate to use poisons. Is there something safer that works. Is the Sevin safe enough if I spray in evening after the bees go to sleep? Big tomatoes with rotten places and holes - very discouraging.

Crandrew · July 12, 2013

neem good but not for hornworms or worms in general

Rockporter · July 15, 2013

I just picked a black worm with a red stripe on its back off of my onion stem. I don't know what kind it was but I saw a clothespin laying on the ground and picked it up and used it to pull the worm off. This is what I will try with those nasty hornworms too.

July 5, 2013	#1
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Will Neem Kill Hornworms? I always use BT but my daughter in law has hornworms, and has Neem. I have never used Neem on my plants for hornworms-do you think it will work on getting rid of the nasties? I pick them off also, if I can find them, but I think she will be too squeamish to do that. __________________ Michael

July 6, 2013	#3
indigosand Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: california Posts: 99	Nope. I use neem and have massive big-as-my-thumb worms I've been picking off. If I didn't have greedy little worm loving chickens to toss them to, I'd use BT. You can find them most easily very early in the morning when they crawl to the top of the plants to eat the youngest foliage. __________________ Elizabeth

July 6, 2013	#4
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Yeah, thats what I thought. I need her to get some spinosad. Thanks for the help. __________________ Michael

July 15, 2013	#7
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I just picked a black worm with a red stripe on its back off of my onion stem. I don't know what kind it was but I saw a clothespin laying on the ground and picked it up and used it to pull the worm off. This is what I will try with those nasty hornworms too. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

July 5, 2013	#2
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	If she doesn't have BT then she can use Sevin. I don't think Neem will get rid of them. When I have used it in the past it didn't seem to bother them. Picking them off is great if you can find them. I sometimes feel like I'm going nuts looking at a vine for so long and not seeing what is obviously a huge hornworm eating away and other times they stand out like a neon sign. Bill

July 12, 2013	#5
matilda'skid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 309	I am finding big tomatoes blushing now and they have holes in the fruit which causes rot. Since some of the organic type bacterial products make me sick, I am looking for the least toxic pesticide that will work on worms. I have a red bottle of Sevin which connects to the hose. I have only used it under my elm to kill cicadas in copperhead season (July). If I don't use it I have snakes coming in the back door. It is easy to use but I hate to use poisons. Is there something safer that works. Is the Sevin safe enough if I spray in evening after the bees go to sleep? Big tomatoes with rotten places and holes - very discouraging.

July 12, 2013	#6
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	neem good but not for hornworms or worms in general