Looking for a few simple and easy ways to keep tomato hornworms off of your tomato plants this summer?
If you’ve ever grown tomatoes in your garden, then it’s likely that you have also experienced these massive, creepy crawly pests. Not only do tomato hornworms look like something straight out of a horror movie, they also cause massive damage to your tomato plants. And in very short order!
Beyond just tomato plants, hornworms can also attack other plants in the nightshade family – which include peppers, potatoes, eggplants and even tomatillos. And when they do, they will eat the foliage, stems and yes, even the fruit.
There are two types of hornworms that wreak havoc on home gardens: tomato and tobacco hornworms. Tomato hornworms are often found more North and have a green, almost black horn on their head. Tobacco hornworms are typically more in the South, and they have a red horn.
Some areas are actually lucky enough (not!) to have both. The good news is that whichever pest you are dealing with, the damage and control methods are the same. The key is to spot them early and eliminate them before they completely ruin your crops.
How To Identify And Keep Tomato Hornworms Off Your Plants
What Are Tomato Hornworms
Tomato hornworms start out as tiny little eggs that are laid by moths in the spring. These dark brown adult moths are considered to be pollinators since they feed on the nectar of plants. However, their main goal is to lay eggs on host plants like tomatoes and other nightshade plants.
As soon as the eggs hatch, the larvae start to feed on the leaves of the host plants. In as little as 48 hours, these small, half-inch worms can grow to be as long as four inches long. So what starts out as just a few leaves being consumed quickly turns into entire plants gone in just under a week – leaves, stems, and all!
What makes tomato hornworms so frustrating is that they are excellent at camouflage. You’d think it would be rather easy to see a four-inch worm crawling amongst the foliage in your tomato plants, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Due to their green coloring, tomato and tobacco hornworms are masters of disguise. They easily blend into the rest of the plant’s foliage, making finding them extremely tricky.
In Search Of Tomato Hornworms
While the tomato hornworms might be difficult to see on your plants, their damage definitely isn’t. Starting near the top of the plants, the caterpillars strip off and consume the leaves and stems leaving behind small stumps of branches.
But their damage doesn’t just stop there. Once the leaves and stems are all gone, the hornworms move on to the fruit itself. Typically, the caterpillars won’t consume the whole tomato but will do just enough damage to make the fruit worthless.
Before you know it, an entire plant will be decimated and the pest will have moved on to the next plant. So how do you find these camouflaged creatures and stop their damage to your tomato plants? The best way is to check your plants often – as in daily!
Unfortunately, if you put too many days in between checks, a lot of damage can be done in that short time frame. And if you notice damage, it’s always best interest to then check plants twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening.
Look each plant over for any signs of damage or destruction. Focus on the top of the plants, but be sure to look the plants over fully. This is also a great way to catch other signs of issues on your tomato plants like blight or blossom end rot. See, “How To Help Your Tomato Plants If They Get Blight”
Look For Droppings – Keep Tomato Hornworms Off Plants
You can also look for signs of the tomato hornworm’s droppings. Even though the hornworms are hard to spot, their droppings are not. Since the caterpillars consume so much plant foliage, they leave behind a ton of droppings.
Young hornworms leave behind droppings that look like tiny black specs on the top of the leaves. It might even resemble the feces of flies or other insects.
If you see any black specs, start to look for the smaller hornworms within about four to six inches of that area. It might take a bit to train your eyes, but before long you will easily be able to spot the droppings as well as any nearby caterpillars.
Adult Droppings
For adult tomato or tobacco hornworms, their droppings look like tiny pebbles or pellets. You will typically see them piled up on the top of the leaves. Chances are, the foliage nearby will also have signs of damage from the hungry caterpillars.
Normally, you can see the pellets or damage on the outer edge of plants. Tomato hornworms don’t typically stay deep within the middle of plants, helping to make finding them a little easier.
If the droppings are green, they are fairly fresh. It’s likely that a caterpillar is very nearby – like within a few inches. As the droppings age, they will darken and dry out. In this case, look more around a 1-foot diameter to find the culprit.
Always remove or brush off any droppings you do find. That way, you don’t confuse them with new piles when you do your crop checks next time.
How To Use A Blacklight To Easily Find Hornworms
If you are having issues spotting the tomato hornworms, there is a simple trick that works to perfection. It involves going out in the dark and looking your plants over with an inexpensive blacklight flashlight. Product Link: Vansky UV Flashlight Black Light
The tomato or tobacco hornworms have a translucent body that actually appears to glow when lit up with a blacklight. The glowing hornworm will stand out against the dark foliage of the tomato plant, making it easy to remove the caterpillars.
Once you find a tomato or tobacco hornworm, simply remove it from your plants and kill it. Some prefer to use scissors or pruners to get the deed done due to the large size of the worms. They also make for excellent chicken treats!
Before you know it, you will be a tomato hornworm hunting pro. Here’s to keeping your tomato plants safe by finding and removing hornworms this year before they ever become a problem!
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