Look Who is Eating My Tomatoes Plant

[ferice]

I used baking soda and dish washing soap to make a solution to spray my plants. Today, I found this little guy on one of my tomatoes plant. What's the best solution to use for getting rid of them?

 

[Beth_B]

Is that a tomato hornworm? So cute.
Pick them off the plant by hand and either squish or drop in soapy water to kill them.

 

[Chuck]

That is a tomato hornworm and it looks like he has been having quite a feast. The best way to care of them is to pick them off and stomp on them. The second best way is to spray with Bt

 

[JBtheExplorer]

What's the best solution to use for getting rid of them?

DO NOT KILL IT. Blurry photo, but looks like it may be a hornworm. If so, they turn into one of the coolest insects, Hummingbird Moths. If it's something else, it will also likely turn into something equally as interesting. If you want it gone, relocate it.

The best way to care of them is to pick them off and stomp on them. The second best way is to spray with Bt

Stomp on it? Wow. How can you be on a gardening forum and yet have such disrespect? They're not evil, they're just looking for food. We've got to learn to live side by side, rather than murdering everything we come in contact with.

 

[Chuck]

DO NOT KILL IT. Blurry photo, but looks like it may be a hornworm. If so, they turn into one of the coolest insects, Hummingbird Moths. If it's something else, it will also likely turn into something equally as interesting. If you want it gone, relocate it.


Stomp on it? Wow. How can you be on a gardening forum and yet have such disrespect? They're not evil, they're just looking for food. We've got to learn to live side by side, rather than murdering everything we come in contact with.

I am a realist and the fact is that one of these pests can destroy an entire tomato plant practically over night. Where would you suggest to relocate it to? How about pepper plants or maybe an eggplant and let it destroy it too. Or how about potatoes? Let it destroy them too. Many people rely on their gardens for a substantial part of their food supply not to mention the commercial growers who grow food for everyone else. Get along with them? How? Why even try to grow vegetables in the first place if all you are going to do is feed the insect population instead of yourself?? What's next? Protect The Potato Beetle or Unite for Spider Mite Rights? Maybe even Save The Stink Bug?
The reason I am on this gardening forum is to help people successfully grow healthy food for their family. If by disrespect you mean not adhering to nonsensical tree hugger claptrap I plead guilty

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I am a realist

Are you?

Why even try to grow vegetables in the first place if all you are going to do is feed the insect population instead of yourself??

How will you feed yourself when the insect population is gone?

If by disrespect you mean not adhering to nonsensical tree hugger claptrap

I have nothing more to say other than it's such a shame that even on friendly forums like these, there is always that one person who is ready to take jabs at anyone who they disagree with.

 

[Chuck]

Yes, I am a realist. I realize that tomato and tobacco hornworms are extremely damaging to food plants in the solanaceae family and that controlling them is vital to many food crops. You can see what that one caterpillar did to that tomato plant. Leaves gone, the entire ends of some limbs gone. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos and other food crops are in the solanaceae family and that is what these caterpillars feed on. They don't just eat anything. Am I being unrealistic in understanding what a few of these pests in a garden can do. In a tomato plant that hasn't had most of its foliage eaten by these caterpillars they are extremely difficult to see as they are magnificently camouflaged, almost invisible. As I stated in the first post, the best way to get rid of them is to stomp on them, if your eyesight is good enough to even see them that is, and the second best way is with Bt. If eliminating these extremely harmful caterpillars insults your sensibilities then you shouldn't try to grow your own food and calling us who do disrespectful of Mother Nature or anything else is just a tad over the top IMHO

 

[Beth_B]

I'm a tree-hugger and I also recommended "squishing it." I hate killing things, but some things just don't need to co-exist with me. Fleas, mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, bed bugs, slugs, ground bees or yellow jackets, potato beetles, etc. They are all "cool insects" and have a purpose. They can exist elsewhere but once they take up residence inside my house, on my pets or in my garden, if there is no non-lethal alternative, they get dead.

Besides as Chuck points out, hornworms have very specific hosts. Relocating them just means they'll slowly starve to death and won't mature, unless you grow a separate garden to relocate them to. I think a fast demise is kinder, really. And squishing them is definitely better than drenching your yard with Ortho products.

 

[Rosyrain]

I had to really look hard to see that worm as it blended in with the plant very well. I agree with the others about relocating the bug away from the plant so that it could live out the rest of its short little life in peace.

 

[Beth_B]

I had to really look hard to see that worm as it blended in with the plant very well. I agree with the others about relocating the bug away from the plant so that it could live out the rest of its short little life in peace.

Where would you locate it to? It won't survive if you just plop it onto some random leaves. It will slowly starve to death if you do that. Is this really what you wish for the caterpillar?

 

[claudine]

Where would you locate it to? It won't survive if you just plop it onto some random leaves. It will slowly starve to death if you do that. Is this really what you wish for the caterpillar?

There is a chance the caterpillar will find something edible and survive. I know I wouldn't be able to kill such a tiny creature.
Call me crazy, but I'm one of those people who rescue and feed little insects whenever it's possible

 

[Trellum]

DO NOT KILL IT. Blurry photo, but looks like it may be a hornworm. If so, they turn into one of the coolest insects, Hummingbird Moths. If it's something else, it will also likely turn into something equally as interesting. If you want it gone, relocate it.


Stomp on it? Wow. How can you be on a gardening forum and yet have such disrespect? They're not evil, they're just looking for food. We've got to learn to live side by side, rather than murdering everything we come in contact with.

I agree with you... I didn't like those replies at all I was going to say ''just throw it away''. Humans tend to murder everything they come in contact to, everything they feel is getting on their path bam... dead! I have never enjoyed stomping on things while garden, relocation is best, I always threw those bugs somewhere far. If they die they will not die by my hand.

 

[Mint]

Please spare the life of the little guy. I would not find it in me to kill one like that. I am glad you have no intention of destroying life no matter how small.

 

[Corzhens]

If that is a caterpillar (that's what we generally call a crawler that big), the only solution is to pick it and kill it by stepping on it. But for the prevention, we spray an insecticide in the area near the plant. We don't experience that in tomatoes but they are the regular visitors of our lemon plants. Those crawlers love the young leaves of the lemon so we are always on the lookout otherwise they will eat all the young leaves and there will be no flowers.

 

[ferice]

I did not killed it. I picked it and transported to the tree in the bushes in front of my house. I don't believe that it'll survive, but I tried, lol.