Easy, No "Eeww" way to DEAL with the Disgusting Tomato Hornworm.....Photos

[bvar22]

Step 1: Find the Worm

Anybody who has ever grown Tomatoes knows how difficult this can be.
The little bastards are hard to spot.
The clues are:
Foliage stripped to the bone
and
Little dark green shit pellets on the leaves.
The worm will usually be on the underside of a branch somewhere between the two.
Keep looking.
Sometimes, it helps to grasp individual branches, bend them up to check the underside, and use the process of elimination to methodically check the area.
I am still regularly amazed to discover that after I find one, I have been staring at it without seeing it for several minutes.

Ah HA!

There the little shit is!


Step 2: Cut off the Whole Branch

The area where The Worm has been eating won't recover or grow new leaves.
This is much better and cleaner than trying to pull The Worm off the branch with your hands.
Cutting off the whole branch greatly reduces the Eewww! factor.

See how Easy!

Step 3: Remove ALL the damaged foliage where The Worm has been feasting on YOUR Tomato Plants

This is actually very important.
Removing the damaged foliage makes it much easier to spot NEW worms by spotting new areas of damage. This is especially helpful if you have a lot of plants, or are too old (like me) to remember whether you have caught a worm from a particular area. If the damaged branches/leaves are removed every time a Worm is caught, finding any Hornworm damage the next day is a positive indicator of another Worm.

If a worm can't be found, go ahead and prune off the damage anyway.
That way you will be able to tell whether there is still an active worm in that area the next day.


Step 4: Tease your chickens with the prospect of a Tasty Treat

If you don't have any chickens, get some.
They will be worth it if only for the deep and satisfying pleasure of Step 5.


Step 5: Toss the little bastard to the hungry and excited chickens...

...and watch with delight as these carnivorous descendants of the Velociraptor tear that Hornworm to pieces.
YAY!
I can not think of a better fate for ANY of God's Creatures on the face of this planet.
Here the Barred Rock on the right WON the Worm Scrum and ran off with her prize.

Step 6: Go back to the Tomato Garden with hopes of finding another Hornworm so the whole spectacle can be repeated!
.
.
.
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I'm not a Bad Person.
Hornworms make me that way.
:evilgrin:

[beac]

1. I always enjoy your pest eradication tutorials.

Maybe you should publish a book: bvar's Illustrated Guide to Pest Prevention & Punishment :)

[jp11]

2. EWW, kill it with fire!

That is huge, I'm glad I haven't had one of those, what a dirty mother%#$3#$.

[XemaSab]

3. .

:D

[Inchworm]

4. Greatest post evah!

:rofl:

[Denninmi]

5. Put some 4 to 5 foot tall wooden stakes made out of 1x2's in the patch.

Cardinals, bluebirds, and robins will land on the tops of the stakes and sit there and scan the patch for hornworms. I used to do this.

Since I've started using Bti for cabbage worms, I never get tomato worms anymore, either.

[nc4bo]

6. Wish I could recommend this hilarious post!! LOL. nt

[InkAddict]

7. I remember those icky things - LOL

When we were kids, we'd take them out to the street and pitch 'em onto the pavement, then wait for a car to make the score; like ethod of caterpillar doom better.

[WhiteTara]

8. unfortunately I don't have chickens to feed the nasty little

buggers to, but I certainly appreciated the clip off the branch trip. I couldn't believe how they can hang on! Pulling them off was DISGUSTING! Now that I know what to look for, they can not escape my gaze and off they go to die under a rock.

Thanks for the great tip! Another reason to get chickens! lol

[hippywife]

9. Our girls love them!

It's like a gourmet meal for our chickens. :hi:

[WhiteTara]

10. again, I thank you! The cut off the eaten part

was the best advice. It took partial eating of one leaf for me to find the nasty little worm and off he went to his next life and my tomatoes are intact!