If your tomato plant seems to be disappearing overnight, you may be dealing with a tomato hornworm.
After the first time you see the destruction that a tomato hornworm can do to your plants you will know exactly what to look for.
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Identifying a Hornworm
A few years ago, I was expanding my garden and going vertical due to limited space and dealt with these boogers. I had to do some research to figure out what was going on. According to organic gardening’s website there are two varieties of hornworm, the tomato and tobacco hornworm. They are easy to identify based on the stripes and the color of the horn on their rear end.
These hornworms appear to be the tobacco variety based on the horn being a reddish color.
Based on the information on Farmer’s Almanac’s webpage these caterpillars can devastate a crop very quickly. The hornworm is the caterpillar form of a moth called the sphinx or hummingbird moth. The moth will lay its eggs on leaves in late spring. Once the eggs hatch, they begin feeding non-stop.
If you start noticing missing leaves or dark droppings on the leaves it is time to start looking closely at your plants. Notice in the picture that the caterpillar is pale green with white and black markings. When they are small they blend in really well. Make sure you look under all the leaves if you are seeing any damage.
How to Manage Hornworms
To prohibit hornworms till the soil at the beginning and end of the season. This will kill the eggs and larvae before they have had a chance to grow.
As nerve wracking as it can be wasps are good to have around. Wasps will lay eggs on the hornworm, the larvae feed on the worm and it will soon die.
If you find hornworms on your plants simply pull them off and consider making them fish food. Next season companion planting can help to keep hornworms away.
The first year I found them in my garden it was only on a plant in a Topsy Turvy. I have no clue how they may have gotten there. My only conclusion is that a moth laid eggs at some point. I was lucky to only have a few hornworms that year and was able to simply pick them off.
The year we were selling our house I had several volunteer plants that I didn’t take care of. I was curious to see what would happen if I just let them go. I hope you will enjoy this little video I got of a hornworm destroying a tomato plant.
Happy gardening everyone.
