Please tell me this is nothing to worry about - Page 2

Redbaron · July 24, 2013

I found about 10 or so hornworms this year. Very light considering I have around 200 plants. The first one I found was already sick and almost dead, his insides were liquefying from some natural disease. I also saw large wasps hunting them, and some kind of predatory black fly. Was finding about 1 a day for a few days, and finally towards the end I found 4 or 5 in 1 day. That's when I pulled out the Bt as a back up system. No more hornworms.

I also had some mites and small aphids. On the day I was about to finally pull out the neem, I saw this fast moving tiny speck.....I am not exactly sure what it was, but I definitely recognized hunting behavior. So I didn't spray neem. Several days later all signs of aphids and mites on my tomatoes vanished.

The one thing that has needed both Neem and Bt was the eggplant, although I have only sprayed once and that was just a couple days ago.

Over all I am pretty happy with the natural biosystems keeping pests under control this year. It has only needed very little help from me so far.

nolabelle · July 24, 2013

We have lots of different kinds of wasps hanging around the yard and carport. The only ones that concern me are yellow jackets. Any brown, black or mud dauber wasps are left alone. I see lots of small wasps around the herbs on my rolling cart. I think they seek to make a home in the metal tubular openings of the cart shelves. I plan to plug up those holes today.

July 24, 2013	#16
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	I found about 10 or so hornworms this year. Very light considering I have around 200 plants. The first one I found was already sick and almost dead, his insides were liquefying from some natural disease. I also saw large wasps hunting them, and some kind of predatory black fly. Was finding about 1 a day for a few days, and finally towards the end I found 4 or 5 in 1 day. That's when I pulled out the Bt as a back up system. No more hornworms. I also had some mites and small aphids. On the day I was about to finally pull out the neem, I saw this fast moving tiny speck.....I am not exactly sure what it was, but I definitely recognized hunting behavior. So I didn't spray neem. Several days later all signs of aphids and mites on my tomatoes vanished. The one thing that has needed both Neem and Bt was the eggplant, although I have only sprayed once and that was just a couple days ago. Over all I am pretty happy with the natural biosystems keeping pests under control this year. It has only needed very little help from me so far. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

July 24, 2013	#17
nolabelle Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: N.O., LA (Zone 8b) Posts: 136	We have lots of different kinds of wasps hanging around the yard and carport. The only ones that concern me are yellow jackets. Any brown, black or mud dauber wasps are left alone. I see lots of small wasps around the herbs on my rolling cart. I think they seek to make a home in the metal tubular openings of the cart shelves. I plan to plug up those holes today. __________________ I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it!