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This weekend we discovered tomato hornworms in our garden. Can you see it? Carl had to show me several times before I could figure out what he was showing me.
This is how he knew something was up…leaves totally stripped from the top of a very healthy tomato plant.
So now, each evening we have a garden “date” in which we look for these guys.
Want to know more about the tomato hornworm?
The tomato hornworm and the tobacco hornworm are very similar and both eat tomatoes, tobacco, eggplant and peppers. Both are big…3-4 inches long. Both become a type of sphinx moth which are about the size of a humming bird so they are sometimes call hummingbird moths. Tomato horn worms have “v” shaped marks and a black horn on its rear end. Tobacco horn worms have diagonal white stripes and a red horn on its rear end. Tomato horn worms are usually in the north and tobacco horn worms are usually in the south.
Life cycle of a hornworm:
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The good news is that there is only one life cycle per season, unlike the vine borer.
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The bad news is that the moths overwinter in the soil as dark brown pupae, so you will probably deal with them year after year.
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They emerge and mate in late spring
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They lay their eggs, which are round and greenish-white, on the undersides of leaves.
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The eggs hatch in four to five days, and the hornworm emerges. It spends the next four weeks growing to full size.
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Then it digs its way into the ground for the winter.
Prevention:
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You’ll probably notice the effects of the hornworm before the hornworm itself – so a daily walk through your garden is beneficial.
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Since they are large the best way of getting rid of them is to just pick them off. You can then either squish them, feed them to the chickens (our preferred method) or put them in a jar, feed them and watch them become a moth (we might do this…once)
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If the infestation is large you could use some bt (also known as Dipel Dust) to help get rid of them.
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Parasitic wasps are great! If you see a hornworm with little white eggs or grubs on them don’t kill it. Those are parasitic wasps and they will really be helpful in your garden. (This is why it’s important not to use insecticides on your garden) If you don’t want them you can send them my way.
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If you notice that you have a problem year after year and you don’t already till, try tilling your garden a couple of times before spring planting to destroy the pupae.
How do you keep the pests down in your garden?
You can find information about other fruits and veggies by searching clicking on the In The Garden tab up top or in The Gardening Notebook.
Kim says
I had those last year on the tomatoes and potatoes. Last year they were fascinating for the boys and a treat for visiting birds as I tossed them out in the yard. This year, we’ll have chickens so I’ll be letting them have a little feast!
SchneiderPeeps says
We give them to the chickens also…they seem to love them.
Michele says
I just picked 8 horn worms off one tomatoe plant. Some of them were so small they looked like inch worms, and some were the size of my pinky finger. They may feed chickens (which I don’t know since I have no chickens), but we save them in a small container (with their favorite leaves for food) in the fridge and then use them as bait for fishing. I caught a nice trout almost instantly using a tomatoe hornworm. Although I picked 8 off the one plant, I must have gotten to them right away because they didn’t hav time to destroy my plant. Even though the missing leaves were the warning sign. I’m so paranoid now that I check my plants twice a day for hornworms. They are voracious eaters.
Angi Schneider says
That’s awesome that you found a great use for them! I’ll have to let my husband know that trout like them. I hope you don’t find any more but if you do it’ll be a great excuse to go fishing.
Patty says
Oh yes, I so remember those worms! We like to feed them to the chickens. It was so funny watching the chickens fight for a worm.
SchneiderPeeps says
LOL! It is funny watching them fight to see who gets the prize.
Mrs. Petrie says
That was a huge hornworm!! We get them too, but I have my kids go through the plants and dispose of them, haha. 🙂
SchneiderPeeps says
I know. It’s funny because even though it’s so huge I had trouble seeing it at first.
Beth says
Thank goodness we don’t have those – how about some chickens to help with the pests?
SchneiderPeeps says
Our chickens do help. Right now we’re picking the worms off and giving them to the chickens. But after we harvest this section we’re going to put the chickens in the garden to scratch and peck the soil. Hopefully that will help for next year.
Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says
Agggh! Luckily, I’ve only dealt with hornworms once, and a few pickings removed them. Wish I had chickens to feed them to… 😉
Gina says
There was one on a tomato plant in my garden this year.. A big one too! I thought he was a cute caterpillar. I took pictures of him lol ? I’ve only seen two or three in my life, so I didn’t know they specifically liked tomato plants.
Angi Schneider says
lol…he is a cute caterpillar. And makes a beautiful moth. I’ve been known to just “relocate” them every once in a while instead of giving them to the chickens. It’s such a hard balance.
Barbara says
Plant basil with your tomato plants it repels the moths that lay hornworm eggs. You may still have a few the first couple of years but the longer basil is growing with your tomatoes the fewer you will have. Also if you let the basil go to seed you will not have to replant it will reseed itself, bonus!
Angi Schneider says
Thanks for the advice, Barbara. We have basil popping up all over the garden since we do let it reseed itself. Hopefully that will help repel this moth some.