Hi Catherine,

I have heard of using some soapy water in a spray bottle and lightly spraying the tomato plants. When the soapy water gets on the hornworms they will begin wiggling and convulsing, making it easier to spot them.

Like I said, I have only heard about that working, never tried it myself. I wouldn't use too much soap in the soapy water solution though.

Good luck,

Tee

Try looking before the heat of the day, like in the morning. They are more likely to be active and visible. Also try looking in the leaves directly above the poop, if you are lucky it will be somewhere around there.

Apparently they glow brilliantly in the light of a UV bulb or black light, but of course you'd need to hunt for them at night if you use that trick.

This wasn't a hornworm but some other hungry caterpillar who ate all the leaves off my sunflowers....

I couldn't find it, day after day. So, I went out at night with a flashlight (really, more like 1 AM). It was eating the top of the plants, so I figured it'd be somewhere by the top. Sure 'nuf, there it was.

I've been pretty lucky finding them. I look for leaves with holes in them, flip over leaves and they are usually there. Usually the black poop is on leaves below them.

I pick off the leaves with holes that I checked so I can tell if there is anymore damage.

About a week and a half ago I found 8 on 6 plants. They were babies. I knew I was going to be in hospital for a few days and did not want to risk coming home to devastated tomato plants so I had husband spray with BT and there has been no new damage.

I read BT only works on smaller hornworms not the bigger ones.

Here is a link that might be useful: blog with pics of hornworm on tomato leaf

I just want to add that the black light trick works great,
I didn't find 'em this way, but when I found a couple a few weeks ago I put them in glad container and took them inside to set under a black light to see if they indeed do glow under it they do indeed. well they were tobacco horns but should work the same. I also BTed and have no new damage but every once in a while I drag the ext. cord out with the black light anyway.

That's interesting about the black light!
I'm not finding any poop, but lots of leaves missing. I'm wondering about mice. I know they love my garden.
One time a few years ago, I saw 3 tomatoes together and went to reach for them, and there was a mouse sunbathing on them! I hated to disturb him. haha
Thanks for your suggestions.

I haven't found any hornworms with my blacklight LED flashlight, but I have found a few scorpions. That will get your heart pumping! Here's what they look like...

{{gwi:95892}}

YIKES!!