Tomato Hornworms: ID the moth and caterpillar eating my tomatoes
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- If you find your tomato or potato plant disappearing in 2 days, it might be a hornworm caterpillar. Look for the giant frass droppings as the telltale sign! Nipped off branches are an indicator too. The almost invisible culprit is probably the Tobacco or Tomato Hornworm. These well camouflaged caterpillars develop from an egg that was laid on the terminal leaves of your plant during the night. The sphinx moth, aka Hornworm, enjoys laying eggs on all plants of the Solanaceae family. These big 2x4” moths are frequently found around night, security lights. Both the Tobacco and the Tomato Hornworm are native to the Eastern United States and their gregarious, larvae eat plant foliage, flowers and fruit!
The larvae of both moths have horns at the rear end of their green body. The Tobacco Hornworm has a red, pink or orange horn and is very common. The Tomato Hornworm has a black or blue horn and the caterpillar color may vary from the typical bright green to a brown tinge. Do not kill any caterpillar that has vertical white rice-like pellets sticking on its back. These white cocoons indicate many parasitic insects are slowly, consuming the caterpillar on the inside. If needed, pull that infected caterpillar off and feed it in a safe location so the parasitic insects develop and fly away.
No chemical control is needed for the hornworms. Just pick them off and dispose. You might need to look for then at night with a flashlight when they are easier to spot!
Joyce Browning Horticulturist, Master Gardener Coordinator
Video credit: Bethany Evans Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Program Alumni; CPH
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The bee was a paid actor 😅
Great video! Thank you!
I guess I'm the only one that finds it sad that these remarkable insects will be destroyed on sight and never become the amazing sphinx moth. One of the fastest moths in the world, the are shaped like an airplane and can actually fly 30 miles per hour. Not to mention moths are beneficial pollinators as well.
I'm leaving these guys alone so they can turn into moths!
I love the enthusiasm of your delivery as you impart some helpful knowledge and context. Found one on our over six foot tall tomato on our patio in San Diego and was wondering...just found a second one (so far) too, thanks to your having shown us its scat!
I note and appreciate, too, that although you describe how destructive they can be, you handle them with care and respect.
I just found 3 of them on one plant. Thats why im here, how many can i find on a plant. 2 is rare from my understanding and i found 3 big ass caterpillars and a small tomato moth caterpillar. I mist my plants with water, baking soda, and dish soap and still found em. I got them pretty early but they did do some damage. I wasnt expecting 4 caterpillars all together thats forsure. Im in southeast louisiana for location.
Great presentation of the tomato hornworm or terminator hornworm as I calls em.
Thank you!!! I did not realize I had seen the poop and should have known. Now I know!!!!
Hi Joyce, You are so good at doing the videos, we really enjoy them! We just dealt with quite a few hornworms in our Maryland garden. We found using a blacklight at night worked great for finding the hornworms. They actually glow and are so easy to find...kids love it! Thank you for all you do!!
Thank you! Saw that huge moth in flight this morning, thinking Bee, no, hummingbird, no, bat, no-wait, what? It rested in our dogwood tree, wings outstretched. During flight, I saw the yellowish/tan/white color underneath its wings and noticed the stripes on its body. Thanks for your spirited education of this interesting moth! Thanks to your video, my family and friends will believe that I saw it. We live in Manor Woods in Glen Arm coexisting with nature, loving it. TFS!
Thank you for educating us on so many topics. Your video is always so informational and fun to watch. Truly enjoy all of your videos. 👍👍❤❤
I hate those things. I feed them to the chickens.
absolutely amazing video. joyce you are an amazing educator and your passion and delivery is very comforting. Thank you :)
Excellent thanks
Thank you from my soul, found one in my garden tonight, scared me.
Big big big white rainbow
How do i get rid of it? Im about to stick the four i found in the trash. Do they bite or sting?
I flush them down the toilet
Just stomp on the damn things!!! 😁
You sophomoric ingrate.
I flush them down the toilet. Less goop
ewww.. you aren't scared? 🤔🤔🤔
Remember that these insects are purposeful pollinators, and have value, and a right to their own lives beyond our self-serving veggie patches and “showing our kids.” Please respect Life, and the food chain, and support the insects that are the essential foundation of both!
I agree with you
I raise them AND I LOVE FEDDING the adult moth i git a hummjng bird feeder in my bug room.
@@Ilovecats64705 mine just hatched, full moth, he climed up a stem and isn’t really moving any more than his antennes, what should I do/ feed him
@@mightyswag9186 wait till its wings are done drying/expanding. The best thing to do is to release it as it needs a huge open area with long tubular flowers to feed.
Why on earth would you keep that disgusting thing?
I breed them and raise to be a humming bird moth but they also work for reptile food 😊
Seriously. The 'Oh save the tomato worm' in these comments are absolutely ridiculous. Where do these people come from? Other than a place of incredible naivety.
I found one☝️!!!😍 It is amazing!