As I was picking toms this morning I notice the tell tale signs of the tomato hornworm or so I thought. It took a minute or two to find them. Turns out there was three! Double trouble ( photo / image / picture from gfreiherr's Garden ) Caught in the act! I was curious to see what they would have looked like as moths (had they survived). So I googled tomato hornworm and found out they were actually tobacco hornworms. I was surprised to learn that tobacco hornworms are more common on toms than the tomato hornworm...who knew, not me. Hornworms are the larvae of "sphix" or "hawk" moths. Tobacco hornworms hve 7 diagonal white lines on the side and a red horn. Tomato hornworms have 8 v-shaped marks on each side with a blue-black horn.
They are destructive...but the moths are a joy to watch...well, they can fly about in worm heaven now. hahaha It looks like that beast was working on a tom right then and there! Good riddence to bad rubbish, I say.
The first time I found one of those on my tomato plants I was absolutely disgusted! I haven't had one in a few years now, but the last time I let it live in hopes of seeing the moth. I never did see that moth and I sacrificed a whole plant for it!
I will sacrifice lots of plants or break the limbs and put them on a tomatoe that refuses to make fruit.I enjoy the moths more than the tomatos and I do love tomatos.These hornworms here turn into beautiful Hummingbird Moths.
If you see them with little white sacks that look kinda like white rice hanging on it, let it live! The sacks are a parasite wasp that will help control them. http://tinyurl.com/2dl4yub This video shows several different cats but it is informative. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNh3eoLw ... re=related [/img]
I think horn worms are beautiful. But I can't let them live in my garden. So, I get a glove on. Pick off the worm. Toss it on the ground and whack it in two with the hoe. I don't step on them anymore. The last time I did that I got green goo all over myself. Yuck.
Oooooops, i really cant see this kind of worms. they are just toooo disgusting for me. i hate seeing them, hate the way they advance...
My step-father once told me one way to tell if you have hornworms on tomato plants; especially if you have a lot of plants. He said to sprinkle water from a hose on the plants and if the plants' leaves start to shake, the cause is the hornworm trying to shake off the water. I tried this method and to my surprise, it works! Yucky things.
I tried my best to get a photo of this wonderful moth they make. Last night going in and out of my Angel Trumpets (Datura).They are to fast for me to get a photo.
Eewww! I am also disgusted by those creatures. They are SO destructive! They seem to hide in the plant, and can really chew a lot of plant quickly! I am lucky they have not found my tomatoes this year, it's probably too hot for em here right now, heh heh We have seen them sort of "rear up" at us when we get close, then it's worm heaven for them...
Being a lover of tomatoes, I just naturally detest the gluttonous Horn worm. When I see a bare limb, or some droppings, I begin searching and never give up until I find the critter. If they are small, I get them with a gloved hand, but the large ones I take snippers and cut the branch just ahead of where he is chomping.
