skip to main content

Growing Tomatoes

How to find Tomato hornworms

catherinet (5IN)

last year

I went out to my garden yesterday and found hornworm poop all over the rim of the stock tank they are growing in, plus on the leaves. It took me awhile, but I found a huge one (about 4" long). I relocated him/her. But a fair amount of the top leaves of the tomato plants were eaten and there was poop from one end of the stocktank to the other( approx 6' long). I had removed one just 2 days prior. It's hard to believe I could have missed thsi one. So..........any tricks on finding them? Yesterday I looked and looked and looked and didn't see one. They're pretty good at blending in. Any tricks of finding them? Thanks.

Featured Answer

socalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24

last year

I go out at night with a blacklight (UV) flashlight. They really show up!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

beesneeds
last year
I look for them from the bottom up since they seem to tend to the undersides and insides of the plants- at least while I'm looking for them. I always killed them, dropped them into water then tossed them out for the birds.

Knock on wood, I haven't had them for a couple years now. I always plant in for brachnoid wasps, and I haven't really had problems with hornworms since.
cooper8828
last year
One of the Youtube channels I watch (Roots and Reguge) swears by going out at night with a black light. I haven't seen them where I am, but have had them in past gardens.
Related Discussions
Tomato Hornworm larvae: sift them out?
Q
Comments (13)
Hey ZachS: You've got the markings right. I read a good way to remember the difference between the tomato and tobacco hornworms and have never wondered if I was mixing them up since then. Just imagine: The tobacco hornworm is a critter that loves to smoke tobacco in cigarettes and puts pictures of the cigarettes (straight lines) on his body...ta da..straight lines= tobacco hornworm Whereas, the tomato hornworm, is a healthy tomato loving insect who hates smokers, maybe is even an ex-smoker himself and puts crushed, broken cigarette (V-shaped) markings on his body. And Donna, the pupae are about the size of a longer than average cigarette butt, and dark colored. I'm not sure if they would fit through the screen of your compost sifter if they were lined up just perfectly, but they are easy to see if soil is spread out. Of course, an adult hornworm moth could still come in from elsewhere to lay eggs on your plants even if you eliminated all pupae from your soil. If you are eliminating all the hornworms (larvae) before they pupate, then I doubt it would be worth sifting your soil since there are likely few, if any, pupae in it.
...See More
fright of my life! a tomato hornworm question, and have searched
Q
Comments (8)
Once they have been parasitized, they are goners. Period. The tiny wasp lays her eggs under the skin of the caterpillar which will soon hatch into a very small wasp larvae. That larvae feeds on the internal organs of the caterpillar up until the time it is ready to pupate and complete the life cycle (turn into another adult wasp). What you see on the outside of the caterpillars are not 'eggs', but the pupal cocoons of the wasp grub. The work has already been done. Other things prey upon these caterpillars, as well. Birds and a pretty wide assortment of predatory insects do a good job in my garden. You might want to start looking for the caterpillar eggs, freshly deposited by the moth. Get rid of them, then you'll have no problems. I've often thought that the eggs are easier to find than the hornworms!
...See More
Raising Tomato Hornworm
Q
Comments (14)
I have a tobacco hornworms, and they are perfectly healthy, except since yesterday. they are now a bit brownish, and are not eating. They aren't moving much, and I don't know if they are shedding, or they're sick. There are two. I got them six days ago, and on the 1st-3rd day, fed them tomato leaves. 4th through 5th i gave them both tomato and potato leaves. At the end of the 5th day, i gave them romaine lettuce leaves, and woke up today, to find they were slightly brown around the head area, won't eat, and minimal movement. They twist around weirdly, and wave their butt around a bit, but that's it. All the information on taking care of tomato/tobacco hornworms said it was ok to feed them romaine lettuce. I washed the lettuce thoroughly before feeding them. Is it the stuff they may have put on the lettuce? Maybe I can't get it off and they got a slight dose of it? I'm worried, and I've been raising tobacco hornworms for years. this is the first time I have fed them lettuce. HELP JEFFREY AND BOB PLEASE! Frankie is digging around to start his coccoon, and he didn't eat any lettuce yet. PLEASE HELP MY POOR CATERPILLARS!!!!!
...See More
Preventing tomato hornworm infestation
Q
Comments (11)
Agree with anney that daily plant monitoring is the best solution. It isn't so much an "infestation" of hornworms as you seldom find more than 1 or rarely 2 on each plant. But that one worm if not caught and removed earlier can do enough damage to make it look like there must be 20 of them on each. If you allow the ones with the wasp cocoons on them to survive so the wasps can hatch then you have a great control in place for the following season. If you kill them then you lose the benefits for later and the infested worm can't do any real damage once he is infected. Otherwise, yes, if you simply can't be there to monitor and hand pick then row covers may be the best option. Dave
...See More
catherinet (5IN)
Original Author
last year
Thanks beesneeds.........what do you plant for braconid wasps?

Thanks cooper.........Funny, just this morning read that they usually active from dusk 'til dawn. I never knew that. I hadn't had them for a few years, so they took me by surprise this year. We were in a moderate drought until a few days ago, so maybe that somehow plays into things.

Thanks again!
Labradors
last year
I don't always get them here thank goodness, but had some last year.

Sometimes, looking for fresh poop (which is greener than old poop which is brown), then looking at the leaves directly above it will locate the perp! Good luck!

Linda
catherinet (5IN) thanked Labradors
beesneeds
last year
I mostly plant dill around the processing tomatoes out in the garden beds, and sometimes I tuck in some cilantro. I also have pink buckwheat adjacent to the tomatoes. I grow one tomato for snacking on in the kitchen garden- it's in a container. I plant dill around it, and I also have planters of parsley and sometimes cilantro around it. I tend to let some mustards and carrots go to bloom through the year, and have a lot of bronze fennel too.
catherinet (5IN)
Original Author
last year
Thanks everyone. I have another question..........have any of you ever found small/young hornworms on your maters? I have never seen any.
socalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24
last year
When I use a blacklight I find small/young ones and large ones.
catherinet (5IN) thanked socalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24
catherinet (5IN)
Original Author
last year
Fortunately, I haven't found any new poop. In case someone is interested in seeing what fresh hornworm poop looks like, here's a pic I took of it. (Does that make me weird??) haha I always found the structure of them interesting.
nanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
last year
last modified: last year
That must be a big one! I have seen both large and small, usually by looking in the area right between the frass (poop), and the underside of leaves with holes.

I once read you should bob your head up and down, like a bird would! Didn't work for me, but who knows?
catherinet (5IN) thanked nanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
catherinet (5IN)
Original Author
last year
nanelle.......yes, if it's from the one that I relocated, it was about 3 and 1/2" long! I think it's the biggest one I've ever seen.

Related Stories

GARDENING 101 How to Grow Tomatoes in Pots

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

Don’t have much space for a garden? All you need is a sunny spot and a large container to grow this favorite summer crop

EDIBLE GARDENS 10 Delicious Heirloom Tomatoes to Grow This Summer

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

Irresistible heirlooms offer outstanding flavor and variety. Choose from a rainbow of colors in all shapes and sizes

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Cherry Tomato Plant Does Double Duty as a Design Element

By Marianne Lipanovich

Besides being tasty, cherry tomatoes bring a burst of bright color to the landscape

KITCHEN STORAGE Pantry Placement: How to Find the Sweet Spot for Food Storage

By Tiffany Carboni

Maybe it's a walk-in. Maybe it's cabinets flanking the fridge. We help you figure out the best kitchen pantry type and location for you

LANDSCAPE DESIGN What Kind of Gardener Are You? Find Your Archetype

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Pick from our descriptions to create a garden that matches your personality and tells your story

SUMMER GARDENING New Heirloom Tomato Hybrids Offer the Best of Both Worlds

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

These crosses combine great heirloom tomato flavor with increased productivity and disease resistance

ARCHITECTURE Houzz Tour: Fresh Ideas in a Former Tomato Packing Shed

A formerly metal-clad structure is now a beautiful wood home designed to capture the light and preserve open space

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Ecofriendly Finds for a Greener Kitchen

By Mariko Jackson

Going green is easier with these cooking and storage accessories, chic biodegradable dinnerware and more

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Find Your Summer Patio Party Style

By Laura Gaskill

Get your party on outdoors even with minimal effort and a small budget — we came up with the ideas so you have more time for fun

Sponsored

Dream Baths by Kitchen Kraft

12 Reviews

Your Custom Bath Designers & Remodelers in Columbus I 10X Best Houzz

More Discussions

Has anyone heard of a storage tomato? Looking at Giallorosso di Crispi

4

"Purple" tomatoes?

4