Green Hornworms Destroy Tomato Plants. Chomp! Chomp! (Pictures)
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I think I’ve been cursed. There is a tribe in the Sudan that believes much of what happens in life is due to witches. These witches either knowingly or unknowingly curse people. I think that this explanation is just as good as any other for what recently happened.
The desert is a harsh climate and can sometimes present challenges that many other gardeners will never have to face. In return for putting up with endless heat and dry conditions, desert gardeners don’t have as many issues with bacteria and mold. I also thought that there were a few pests that we were safe from. One of which is the tomato hornworm. Boy was I wrong! For anyone who has ever had the pleasure of encountering these guys, you are aware of just how destructive they can be.
I went out for a quick water around 7am on Wednesday at which time everything was normal. I went back outside at 7pm to water again (remember we don’t really have a problem with mold so watering at night isn’t an issue) only to find fat, green monsters had ravage my tomato plants. Somewhere in a matter of 12 hours the eggs had hatched and these creepy little things ate literally half my tomato plants. I was flabbergasted considering this was one of the hottest days of the year at 112 degrees.
The tomato hornworm is actually a large caterpillar that can reach up to 4 inches long. They eventually turn into the hummingbird moth. They are not only ugly but also quite mean. We proceeded to pull them off but it wasn’t an easy task. They hold on tight and are ready to fight you every bit of the way. While they do look creepy, with fake eyes along their body, horn and of course the green slime they ooze most of these features are just to deter predators.
If you are unlucky enough to find yourself a victim of these creatures of mass destruction, grab a pair of pliers and gloves and get to work immediately pulling them off. They work really fast so you don’t want to delay. If you can’t bring yourself to pulling them off, pick up some BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray. Try to check you tomatoes often over the following days to be sure another egg hasn’t hatched.
I hope that you never have to deal with the problem of tomato horn worms. They are unbelievably destructive and just downright creepy.
Luckily I think I caught them in time and my tomatoes will survive.
Good luck and happy gardening.
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i have the same problem-1 day and half the plant gone and they shit allover–where do they come from-i live on a 2nd floor balcony
I have pulled 8 of these green worms allready and my tomatoes look like sticks rather then the big plush plant they were. These worms are so healthy and do so much distruction before you even realize it. They also attacked the pepper plants I had right next to the Tomatoes. My peppers were about 24 inches tall and full of leaves now they have no tops almost a foot down. I am sick over this.
I HATE these creatures…good question, where do they come from.??..no idea but check your plants several times a day if you can??? arrrrgggg stupid worms!
the tomatoe worm comes from the hummingbird moth.They are ugly and hungary. I get them off the plant and get rid of them. I have had four so far and got them in time.
Good luck all you master gardners. The wind just took all my corn and knocked it all over. If it isn’t one thing it is another.
Happy fire cracker day. God bless America
Holy Cow! I’ve never even heard of these DAMNED worms! I have a couple of Heirloom Cherry tomato plants that I have been nurturing all spring and summer. They are about six feet tall! loaded with green tomatos. Well, the other day I noticed a few leaf tips had been chewed off by what I thought was maybe a deer. athat same evening I checked my tomatos and to my utter horror, about half of them were reduced to stems! Then I noticed the green droppings on my planter box. After a close examination, I discovered a Huge green caterpillar! Then another and another! I pulled off those ugly bugs (boy they do put up a fight!) and put them in a plastic bag to show some friends. After the “show and tell” I tried to decide what punishment to give them bugs. Well, unfortunately for them they got sprayed with Easy-Off oven cleaner…ha…ha…ha…they just desolved into a pile of green sludge! That’ll teach them to eat MY tomatos! darrell
excellent punishment with the easy off spray…hahahahahahaha dat ill teach em!!!! “-))
On how to get rid of them – birds absolutely love them!!! take a piece of scrap wood – nail the horned tomato caterpillar with a finishing nail and lay outside at a place where birds can see them. watch as the birds come by and start feasting on them. I know this is a little barbaric, but I rather let something feed off these caterpillars than go to complete waste
ewwwwwww not barbaric…fun!
Thanks for the info. I am sick over losing all the leave from my beefsteak tomato plant!!! My children busily tortured them with pliers while we figured out what to do!! Will the leaves come back? With no leaves there won’t be much sun absorption, correct? Green ooze, green sh*t. Ravenous teeth. They bite too!! Nightmarish little creatures. Why are they here?!
who knows why they are here, just check your plants daily & often as I do, have not got any this summer but am always looking to make sure, the damge these ugly suckers cause it sickning, they deserve the death penilty upon capture by whatever means neccasarry…lol but beware they bit and are goooy…YUK!
I hate these guys!! I just discovered them this morning–killed 4 little guys and 3 huge ones. I just cut off the leave they were currently dining on. I immediately ran out and bought the BT. Pray for my 4 roma and cherry tomato plants, plus my 2 banana peppers, jalapenos, bell peppers, and pimento peppers….. I hope this stuff works.. Oh, and for anybody who decides that pounding them to death with a rock, while a great way to release some of your anger at them…can also be very…umm….messy. happy gardening
oh, and a friend also just told me that dropping them in soapy water will also kill them