I kept telling the wife they're here.

[ContainerTed]

For the last few days, I have been searching my plants three times a day (or more) and telling the wife that I could "feel" their presence out there.

This morning, my concerns were validated when I found the critter pictured below (which, BTW, is now deceased). Now, I'm doubly paranoid.

Did not find the first sign of any damage. Not even one leaf edge chomped. Nor did I find any more critters.

This one was about 2 inches long and a paler color of green - not the usual tomato-stem-green. It was crawling on the top of the mix in one of the 18 gallon containers.

What freaks me out on this one was its size given no evidence of it eating anything.

Oh, well, they have arrived in North Georgia. North Carolina, this weather may send them moths your way next. If not, Tennessee could be the target.

Natural, you're just north of me ... ..Theey'rrre HEEEEERE!!

Brog, did you just run them out of your garden??

Ted

[Zana]

Pardon my ignorance, Ted. What are they? And you have my sympathies if whatever they are are indeed "there".

[Barbee]

I have been getting the same "vibe" as you. I've been checking and see no evidence they're leaving behind... but I know it's there and I'm missing it. I guess I'm going to have to go out with a flashlight and look after dark

[Mischka]

That's a tomato hornworm. They have a voracious appetite for tomato leaves and can strip branches overnight.

Usually parasitic wasps will find them and lay their eggs on them, so if you see any with little white rice-looking cocoons on them, let them be. The hornworm has stopped feeding at that point and the wasp larvae will soon hatch, spreading more of themselves to patrol your garden.

You can treat your plants with any BT-containing product if you have a lot of them. BT stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally occuring bacteria found in soil.

The actual mode of action of BT is simple. The bacterium produces a crystal protein toxin that kills the cells lining the insect's gut. When ingested, the bacterial cell wall is digested which releases this toxin. Since insects have guts that are only one cell layer thick, this toxin literally "eats" a hole in the gut, causing an infection in the body cavity.

Translation: dead hormworms.

[Zana]

Thanks for the info. I guess I've been blessed. I've never had them in all the years I've been growing tomatoes. Touch wood, I may not have them for years to come, if I'm lucky. I get aphids more than anything else.

[TheClaw]

Thanks Ted. I've been on the lookout as well but have not spotted any as yet. Last year every time I saw one it was already covered with wasp larvae! Yippee!

I can only hope that my luck continues this year...

Ya gotta love them wasps. I keep trying to explain to my wife the difference between the good bugs and the bad bugs... LOL

[ReaverG]

That's kind of eerie, I had a nightmare that I was pulling them off of my plants the other night. Thanks for the scary story, I guess I'll be waking in a cold sweat muttering 'hornworms' over and over again soon.
*Thanks for the heads up.

[newatthiskat]

Last year I had a reallly bad tomato year and was waiting on my last couple tomatoes. I found one had eaten most of the plant and had wove it's way through a tomato. I am a pacifist when it comes to harming bugs and such. I was so mad I cut off the offending tomato and hornworm and took it to the side yard and wacked the thing with an ax over and over. I know a little overboard but since that time I have no problem killing hornworms.
Kat

[nosnow]

Ted,
I had the same feeling last week, here in SE TN. I walk my rows twice a day, and on Wednesday I saw 4 scat pellets on one plant. Well, I put on my reading glasses and studied that plant for about half an hour before I found the suspect tucked away on the underside of a leaf. Luckily he didn't do any noticeable damage. I hate seeing the bare stem damage and not being able to find the buggers. Most years the wasps find 3/4 of them before I do.

Be Alert! Lerts have more fun.

Joan

[veggie babe]

I saw my first one Sunday, a wasp already had him in it's cluthes. The worm was still alive and wiggling but the wasp had the situation under control. I haven't seen any damage yet but like you all I have been looking daily. They also like some of my flowers and can demolish a flower in no time.

on lookout in Texas,

neva

[Blueaussi]

I was bagging peppers last year to save seed, and I very carefully bagged a hornworm in every bag but one. The tulle apparently protected them well from the wasps.

[akgardengirl]

I am hoping that's a southern thing. I would freak out if I saw one on my plants. We have those small bushy and striped catapillers here but they don't eat tomato leaves, just other leaves.
Sue

[shelleybean]

I found evidence of at least one hornworm this week. I haven't found him yet though. Not much damage, so far. I hate touching them, even with gloves, so I usually just snip as little foliage off as I can with the creature still attached and toss it in the garbage.

[swimgymmom]

Haven't seen any here. We only had one or two last year and found them pretty quick. My DH has taken to lighting them on fire with a lighter. Kills them pretty quick since neither one of us like to touch them.

[rxkeith]

never had or saw a horn worm in the U.P. for 10 years. too dang cold. don't know if they are in the thumb or not. hasn't been much warmer here either so far. don't miss the black flies.


keith