I hate touching them with my hands so I pick up one of my favorite chickens. Walk around the garden with her and point it out and she just eats it for me lol great bonding time 😂
@danniellaboling38904 жыл бұрын
That's amazing
@rebeccataber44484 жыл бұрын
great idea! i hate touching them too, I'm going to grab one of the girls next one I find!
@shad0wCh8ser4 жыл бұрын
Chopsticks works. I leave them for the wild birds.
@diamondmoonwolf4 жыл бұрын
Lol, how nice
@keekeejenkins61624 жыл бұрын
That's a good idea, I can't have them running around in there they've stolen tomatoes, I never thought about carrying one in there!
@dcsmith7967 жыл бұрын
My grandfather had a great way to reduce hornworms. While it's true that the birds might see them while passing through, they mainly hunt caterpillars by sitting and scanning the ground. So he put wooden stakes right in his tomato bed, about four feet high (might need higher if you stake the plants). He said he got the idea by watching bluebirds sitting on old mullein stalks in a field, hunting caterpillars. The birds can perch on the stake, where they are much closer to the plants, and can sit and watch for them rather than trying seeing them on the fly or from a perch somewhere far outside the bed. When asked what he used for hornworms, he would reply "cardinals."
@beautifulmess37076 жыл бұрын
That's a great idea, thanks for sharing that.
@azraikezoe3885 жыл бұрын
Yellow Diamond how you know that, you tried it?
@rosejafari89175 жыл бұрын
My chickens like them.
@earthisflat5 жыл бұрын
@Yellow Diamond and u know this how? Have u personally studied the taste buds of a bird lol?
@wardroland2704 жыл бұрын
Hornworms taste great.
@daruandu4 жыл бұрын
The best way to deal with pests is to make the environment hostile to them. That's the holistic approach. The underside of a size 14 boot seems to be a particularly hostile environment. So far, I haven't found any that have been able to survive those harsh conditions. 😂
@mzlovehard4 жыл бұрын
😂😂🤣
@DH-wf5kr4 жыл бұрын
Trent Hunter thanks very much for the video it was very helpful I am a new gardener this is good information
@g.alistar77983 жыл бұрын
Size 10 boot works as well…
@daruandu3 жыл бұрын
@@g.alistar7798 Hmm, yeah, that might be a very good solution if space is an issue, but I won't be downsizing to a 10 just yet. It would be incompatible with rest of the equipment I have and I find the extra reach, horsepower and broad-spectrum coverage that a 14 provides to be very effective and satisfying to operate. 🤣
@theredcomet8442 жыл бұрын
Holistic you say. (Me with acupuncture needles)
@spamsausage2 жыл бұрын
who else is watching this right after noticing that tomato hornworms completely wrecked your plants? D':
@sli87 жыл бұрын
They also stand out under UV light. This can help you find them at night.
@teem90105 жыл бұрын
did you try this yourself?
@mountebank50345 жыл бұрын
@@teem9010 I would assume the UV light would make the white lines on the worms' sides glow noticeably.
@solinvictus395 жыл бұрын
I literally did this an hour ago in the middle of the night. Found a whole bunch and took them for a swim in a bucket full of water. I think this is the best way to get at them, as they are hard to spot in the daytime.
@annaoneill47694 жыл бұрын
UV light does work awesome. Especially when they are smaller. They glow like little lights. They don't glow as much when they are big. Perhaps due to being more dense. However when these are little, UV light really works. It's my after dark entertainment 😂
@skada32424 жыл бұрын
Yes! They glow bright green and the small ones are easier to find.
@dixsigns17175 жыл бұрын
I am a 66 yo who grew up on a truck garden in Missouri, who loves your videos. Thank you for being so engaging on the 'little' matters of gardening... :)
@cathyversteeg30516 жыл бұрын
Great info Luke. Jess over at Roots and Refuge has a great video about using a black light flashlight after dark to look for, and pick off, these theives. The black light makes them look fluorescent and they practically glow. She found tons of small ones and some big ones too. Great channel too for southern gardeners with insight with what grows in the excessive heat.
@aloras4055 жыл бұрын
Crystal Catnip the black light will also make powdery mildew fluoresce too.
@jenniferw89634 жыл бұрын
@@aloras405 Good to know thank you!
@deannblevins73522 жыл бұрын
I've found a dozen or more when the worms were small with the blacklight before they started eating my plants. Now I go out a couple times a week at night. Haven't found any more and plants haven't been eaten!!!
@annafontenot89142 жыл бұрын
You can find stunk bugs also, their belly glows
@bluegoddess166 жыл бұрын
So nice to hear confirmation of what I suspected: attracting birds to my yard this year is stopping my typical worm issue on tomatoes. I didn't even spray with BT this year since I have milkweed, citrus, and fennel as host plants for butterflies, and no problems at all. I have daily lesser goldfinches, CA scrub jays, and hooded Orioles in my yard. I have actually witnessed the Orioles hopping around my tomatoes plants and popping out with a green worm in its mouth! Absolutely fantastic. People told me attracting birds was going to be detrimental to my garden and its been the opposite. I love my bird helpers!!
@GrandpaD784 жыл бұрын
Perfect! So many people don't know how to make a great video. You do! Informative, interesting, on-topic and without taking 30 minutes to give 10 minutes worth of information. Perfect!
@charlietallman95834 жыл бұрын
I've been blessed by Braconid wasps living in my area. I still find stripped branches before the wasp's find them. But, if I find them with the little white rice sized cocoons, I leave them to be. "Enjoy your final meal!"
@OFFGRIDwithDOUGSTACY7 жыл бұрын
they will eat through you garden SO FAST ... seriously
@contactjoy41405 жыл бұрын
OFF GRID with DOUG & STACY don't you let your chickens walk through your garden? They eat every caterpillar and deposit great fertilizer. Double win!
@susang93065 жыл бұрын
It Took them 6 hours to destroy my husbands huge tomato plant ! Six hours and bald !
@teddy3035 жыл бұрын
@@susang9306 ya 6 hours for my grape plant and bald too after i got back from work!!
@sminthian4 жыл бұрын
@@contactjoy4140 Chickens eat everything. If you let them in the garden they'll eat the caterpillars, tomatoes, leaves, stems...
@ferretboul4 жыл бұрын
Dealing with this now.
@hs4good14 жыл бұрын
Yes, we have fed them to our chickens. They actually fight over them! One of the best preventatives I've done is to plant borage (plants) between the tomatoes. I could not believe how few horned worms I had the year I did that. Borage is good about re-seeding also.
@larryblevins70553 жыл бұрын
Our chickens won’t eat them!
@jenniferswims26022 жыл бұрын
I just planted some for that reason!
@charlescoker77525 жыл бұрын
If when you are looking for the worms, also look for the green eggs they hatch from. You may not find them all, but the ones you find will not do damage. They are green to clear, and make a crunch noise when you crush them. Look under the leaves, and on the stems.
@terryTA2 жыл бұрын
Just as you mentioned in your video, I reached for a stem to prune the plant and touched the hornworm. Yes, they wiggle around. Not knowing whether this was a stinging insect or not, I used a stick to pry it off my tomato plant. At first, I thought the deer had been in my yard eating the leaves, but thanks to your well-explained video, I now know the worm was the culprit. I searched the rest of my plants and didn't find any more. Yes, they are quite well camouflaged and difficult to see unless you look closely at every branch. Thanks for the tips on the droppings and the fact that they prefer the top leaves.
@southernroots22293 жыл бұрын
Thank you for showing a close-up of the worm because that gave me a definite knowledge to know what I’m dealing with. And yes that’s what I have here eating all my pepper plants. They didn’t seem to bother the tomatoes that much but wreaking havoc on the pepper plants. I just take my snippers and cut them in half while they’re on the plant. So gross. I live in Houston, TX, and they really didn’t start till July.
@corriebreunsbach73317 жыл бұрын
Gaaah!!! I have found two hornworms this summer. The first one nearly killed me by heart attack. You may have heard the echoing scream coming from West Michigan. It was super exciting. 🙄 Right now blight is more a problem than anything else. 😖
@tyronin65047 жыл бұрын
Corrie Breunsbach 😂 I understand your comment all to well!
@corriebreunsbach73317 жыл бұрын
Johnathan Custom yeah, you know, the scream that starts in your toes! 😂
@corriebreunsbach73317 жыл бұрын
Johnathan Custom yeah, you know, the scream that starts in your toes! 😂
@VaughnMalecki7 жыл бұрын
Corrie Breunsbach I heard. Over in Shelby Township. I'm sure of it. You scared me.
@GoddessAngelinaj6 жыл бұрын
2? I grew 10 plants last year and stopped counting when I reached about 123!
@usakiwi52227 жыл бұрын
I so dislike those things!! They give me the heebie jeebies! I found 3 on my tomatoes last week and I turned them in to Bass Food - we live on a lake.
@JordanasBoutiqueTx5 жыл бұрын
usakiwi5222 omg me too I cringe ughh... yuck yuck they really creep me out
@michaeljohnson39765 жыл бұрын
Great idea!
@cynthiamoon3725 жыл бұрын
Super bait for fishing.
@cindykq80865 жыл бұрын
Great idea, drown the little bastids.
@wenisos19475 жыл бұрын
I think there kinda cute.they look like caterpie from pokemon
@JC-mx1mk5 жыл бұрын
If you wait till dark and shine a 'blacklight" flashlight, they will glow and be easily seen. 15 bucks on Amazon!
@djio59524 жыл бұрын
Super informative and useful - I caught 4 big ones and 5 smaller ones in just the last 2 days, can't imagine the damage they would've done. As a follow-up video, folks might also be interested in seeing a video on using Ultraviolet light at night to better spot them.
@BetsyH5 жыл бұрын
I wrapped aluminum foil around the base of the tomato plant and didn't get any. Not sure of the reason why. A friend mentioned to do that and it worked for me.
@EJaramillo4 жыл бұрын
Probably they could grip on and climb up. I’m going to try that next year.
@jessicah34503 жыл бұрын
They mainly live under the leaves and the foil in theory is supposed to reflect light back up and disorient them. Ours are very dedicated though.
@mitchellbarker93683 жыл бұрын
@@EJaramillo The moths actually lay their eggs on the bottom sides of the leaves. So, they don't climb up the plant. They're born there. Another great way to prevent them is by looking for the eggs, but this can be a daunting task if you have a lot of plants.
@andreaoftheland4 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I just pulled a HUGE hornworm off my plant, i'm sure there are more, I've lost 9 tomatoes in a few days to these suckers. I've ordered BT AND a black light so i can hopefully get this under control. My first year trying tomatoes and my single plant got decimated haha
@Iliketoboard4 жыл бұрын
I had four tomato plants in their own separate pots. One night I noticed 80% of my leaves gone one night. 6 hornworms!!! Tried to pull them from the plants. Man, they’re strong. So, I used a lighter and ended them.
@JacobsTrouble5 жыл бұрын
After watching this video. I caught 2 of them on my plants!!!!! 2 of them! Thank-you. You are the real MVP.
@cosmicvibestarot53535 жыл бұрын
Thank you! This is my first year dealing with them. I just sent the video to a friend who is having the same problem. The first one I ran into scared the bejeesus out of me he was so big! OMG
@1forthepeople9697 жыл бұрын
Great tips! I however enjoy the hand picking method as I enjoy being out in my plants in the early morning and evening. I keep a coffee can with water and dishsoap out there then pick them off and toss in the can. Your tomato horn trivia is amazing. I never knew they grew that fast! Thanks for the great tips. I really enjoyed this video.
@jenniferswims26022 жыл бұрын
So do I! I love finding them and giving them to my chickens! I feel accomplished! Lol
@marykater.71694 жыл бұрын
"Then you can use the chicken manure to fertilize your tomatoes. " "The circle of liiiife..."
@bekahp443 жыл бұрын
They are aggressive when you try to take them off too. They make a creepy clicking noise and thrash their head back and forth. Makes it difficult to grab as well as them holding on the plant with a death grip.
@FreedomNurse3 жыл бұрын
I discovered this today. I just cut off the branch and toss them In the woods.
@lepidlover05572 жыл бұрын
Lol, caterpillars. They think you're gonna eat THEM!! 😂
@beautifulfretboard22992 жыл бұрын
Use a glove and pick them off
@andreawimer4334 Жыл бұрын
@@happyhomeandgardenjohndawne ewww 😫
@kathleenambrose8776 жыл бұрын
I have a different approach with the tomato hornworm... I have a love/hate relationship with them. I adore hawk moths but I also really like my tomato plants. We always have many volunteer tomatoes that I move to a bed near my compost pile. When I find a horn worm in my garden, I relocate him to the tomatoes that I don't necessarily want and they can chew and chew to their hearts content. Then I still get to enjoy my tomatoes AND the hawk moths. Found one with parasitic wasps on it. Crazy to see that!
@toykawilliams32735 жыл бұрын
Kathleen, that is an awesome idea!!! Happy you, happy moths!
@beautifulfretboard22992 жыл бұрын
😬
@andreawimer4334 Жыл бұрын
Why encourage them to reproduce?
@FaithforMoney6 жыл бұрын
Found my first worm ever today. Your video was the first one that came up after I identified what it was and looked for solutions. Thank you for the video. I found two huge ones in different gardens. One on tomato and one on a bell pepper. Lol I did find the first one by grabbing it on accident while wondering wtf happened to my plants leaves.
@ericagraham3027 жыл бұрын
I feed them to my chickens. Before I had chickens, it was fun to collect them in the day and wait for the bats to emerge in the evening so we could toss them high up into the air.
@PartTimePermies7 жыл бұрын
That's cool. I never thought of that one!
@onism30536 жыл бұрын
I used to do that too
@onism30536 жыл бұрын
+Jacob Gilbert I think the hornworm is beautiful though
@emmaw.68726 жыл бұрын
Whaaa that’s so cool!?
@roxannecarr83556 жыл бұрын
That's exactly what I do with them. They cackle with excitement and fight over them. But, in the end the horn worm is gone.
@shirgo57005 жыл бұрын
i found little black droppings and saw a newly hatched hornworm. removed the leaf and put it near the bird feeder. also i looked for eggs and removed them. might as well do super early prevention. btw, found a total of five little worms which were easy to see since they are a lighter green than the leaves. this video put me on the alert for these pests. i also read about parasitized worms and eggs to leave them alone so the beneficial insect can flourish as well.
@joannoliveira79454 жыл бұрын
I didn’t grow any tomatoes last year, because of that blasted leaf-binger. I lost half of a cherry tomato plant overnight to just ONE tomato hornworm. I’m so glad that I saw it move, because it blended right into the remaining foliage. I would have touched it first and passed out from its acrobatics.😱🤣 I have two plants in our garden and I’m prepared this time! Thank you!
@Hookedonfaith-akasandramoody7 жыл бұрын
Oh my, the first time I saw one of these on my tomato plant I was so freaked out by it that I had my husband throw it out tomato plant and all, lol. This was before I knew what it was of course. I think they are scary looking little creatures. I'm normally not squeamish about bugs but the hornworm still gets to me. Any info (aside from picking them off) on how to eradicate them is so appreciated. Thanks Luke!
@cindykq80865 жыл бұрын
Sandra Moody, my method is to wear my son's welding gloves to pick them off with, so I can't feel them. Then run screaming through the house and flush them away.
@DonnaKohl4585 жыл бұрын
@@cindykq8086 Haha!
@jmichellea40415 жыл бұрын
Blergh! Lol!
@cln30334 жыл бұрын
Sandra Moody 2#0
@dbirdeycapozzi98073 жыл бұрын
Yes Sandra Moody, he said 3 ways: picking by hand, USE SOME 'BT' SPRAY, and cultivate birds living on your property.
@huntercool22324 жыл бұрын
They FREAK ME OUT cuz when I found one and poked it with a stick THAT THING STRAIGHT UP LUNGED AND BIT THE STICK!!! I didn’t expect that and they give me shivers every time I see them... 😂
@rhuffstedtler3 жыл бұрын
This video was easily one of the ten most helpful gardening videos I’ve ever watched
@TheDkavz7 жыл бұрын
I found my first hornworm when it was the size of an inchworm and didn't know what it was so I left it. Came back the next day and a whole leaf branch was gone and the worm was much bigger, but my girlfriend thought it was cute and harmless and insisted I leave it. The following day half the plant was gone and the worm was massive! ugh! glad you also detest these garden pests. Thankfully my orange cherry tomato plant has recovered well and is producing a lot :) thanks for the tips Luke!
@joycezuiderveen36257 жыл бұрын
One more tip.....the moon flower will attract the moth that lays the eggs of the horn worm. So, don't plant that flower on your property.
@jadeperri51834 жыл бұрын
Or can you plant the moonflowers, so the moth will lay eggs there instead of on your tomatoes? Would that work?
@joycezuiderveen36253 жыл бұрын
@@jadeperri5183 The moonflowers act like a light. The plant is not a food source, the tomato plant is the food source.
@TheEMC20037 жыл бұрын
This year, for the first time, I haven't had any hornworms. I planted basil & marigolds & that seems to have helped tons.
@rickgoddard6925 Жыл бұрын
I plant marigolds 4 last 23 years all gone 2nd year to present
@DanielleT774 жыл бұрын
I just saw my first hornworm catepillar on my tomato plant--- oh wow--- they are so pretty! Pretty colors and blended in so well. I gently removed them and relocated them. I have no problem hand picking them off though we'll use the bird bath and posts for birds to sit on and hopefully eat them, as additional support.
@beautifulfretboard22992 жыл бұрын
I have a hard time seeing them
@Cklassy4 жыл бұрын
Luke, can you please make a video on how to get rid of grubs in your soil? I think this could be really helpful for people!
@MrsMcVarro5 жыл бұрын
We had hornworms but they were found by braconid wasps! The wasps paralyzed and murdered the hornworms. If you plant little flowers, the wasps eat them later in their life cycle. Letting dill plants and some of your oregano flower and then go to seed seems to be a fantastic way to get these magnificent tiny non-stinging magic wasps.
@CreatingEssence7 жыл бұрын
These suckers are a PLAGUE here in southern VA. Thankfully we're past their peak now, but I picked off over 30 in the last couple months. I keep a lidded bucket of soapy water in my garden labeled Death Valley specifically for dropping these awful munchers into it.
@debiesubaugher6 жыл бұрын
Creating Essence lol northern Virginia too.
@Tommy-zg1yd6 жыл бұрын
My sugar glider love hornworms!
@tristacrumbley66636 жыл бұрын
Lol.DEATH.VALLEY TOTALLY LOVE THAT HAHAHA..
@susannerauch82376 жыл бұрын
I live in southern VA too, and OMG they are AWFUL here!
@rosygee99375 жыл бұрын
OMG YESSSS! SWVA is horrible! I only had 4 tomato plants last year and i was picking them off everyday! Im prepped this year with a black light. The chickens are gonna love me!
@saritapolanco24994 жыл бұрын
Hello! Great ideas🙏Thanks so much! 🙏🙏We have been dealing with these hornworms in our tomatoes plants for a couple of years now, and your suggestions come at a good time! It’s too bad we don’t have chickens here at home in Brooklyn, NY🙂 We’ll feed them to the birds on our backyard! Thanks again! All the best to you and your family🙏
@lidip8700 Жыл бұрын
Well it happened to me. Went out to the garden this morning and OH WoW, something had eaten 3 tomato and ate the tops a couple of tomatoes. Then I later found a tiny baby one. I'm so thankful Luke has videos on just about every gardening question!! God bless you
@Brick_Chick7 жыл бұрын
So this has been my trick in the past. I had heard that if you grow Parsley with your tomatoes it will keep the tomato worm away. I NEVER have these guys. This year however, I just didn't plant the Parsley and I've had like 12 of these from both tomato and peppers! So, although I don't know for sure that Parsley works or not, I will definitely go back to companion planting with them next year. I've been throwing them out in the field behind us but we feed tons of birds so I'll toss them in their direction now. Thanks for the tip. (Southwest Mi)
@paulk53116 жыл бұрын
i have heard marigolds also keep them away. i am trying that this year.
@paulk53115 жыл бұрын
marigolds did not work. i had them planted between all my tomato plants and still got these pests. what does work is neem oil. if you spray your tomato foliage with it the hornworms will stay away. i use pure organic neem oil i buy on ebay. i have tried that garden smart stuff loews sells but it did not do that good a job. it is just an extract and does not contain the good stuff. i started using neem about 3 years ago to battle aphids and it has made a big difference. i highly recommend it.
@stevendaniel56495 жыл бұрын
I'm fighting hornworms with a whip and a chair! Jurassic Park all over again..... .....
@shym99334 жыл бұрын
Make friends with Jays and crows they love um!
@lgrillo4 жыл бұрын
Terrific segment. I noticed the droppings yesterday and wondered what they were. A quick Google search and I got my answers! Thank you!
@meljordan220 Жыл бұрын
I used to live in Texas and that's where I had my first garden that actually produced something. I had beautiful tomato plants The tomatoes were growing great. And one day everything was gone. I had not noticed until one evening I went out there and there they were! It was crazy hornworms! Last night we found about six or eight on my tomato plants this year. We got to them before they could do much damage to the plant this time. We're going back out this evening to see if there's more.
@Rich206L7 жыл бұрын
Luke, any chance of you doing a video on how to save seeds and prep them for planting next spring? I having a great season tomato-wise and a few of the plants are stunners! What do I do with the seeds!?Thanks,Rich
@stephanie98515 жыл бұрын
I wish I had this last year, horn worms took over my tomatoes! This year I’ll be ready. Thanks MI gardener, I love learning from your informative videos. Keep up the good work! Q: Have you ever had a mole problem? Many people in my area (Sandhills of NC) have this problem and I thought to ask you if you have any solutions. Thanks Again!
@bruces67783 жыл бұрын
If you are doing raised beds, put hardware cloth in the bottom. This will keep the moles out but let the worms through. I'm not sure how you would keep them out an in ground garden.
@keelymunoz69603 жыл бұрын
Hey Stephanie! I live near the same area. Nothing helped our mole problem. They never got in my raised beds though, we just found their trails running through our yard.
@andreawimer4334 Жыл бұрын
I had btg since 2020. (In the refrigerator). It actually got stronger over time. I used it on cabbage worms and it killed them overnight. I was amazed.
@janj57866 жыл бұрын
If you are trying to find one that you know must be hiding, use the droppings to follow it. The darker the dropping the older it is. Bright green droppings are fresh... so follow them by color to find the freshest ones and search vertically up from that point.
@Redberryfarm8886 жыл бұрын
We get these every year. : / I put a garden glove on, peel them off from the stems, and toss them into a bucket. They make a clicking kind of sound when there are a few of them in the bucket, which is odd to hear. Yuck. They can be tricky to spot as they blend in looking like a stem that has a curled up end. Good thing our chickens like to eat them!
@bradhargis56277 жыл бұрын
Never had a hornworm here in southern Ohio.. but tomato pinworms are very annoying to deal with. Fortunately BT works with them as well. I mix BT and neem oil extract to take on aphids and pinworms at the same time.
@dbirdeycapozzi98073 жыл бұрын
I've been hesitating to use the neem on the flowering tomatoes. Will the neem give an unpleasant taste to the tomatoes?...or keep them from being pollinated by the bees?
@goldenretriever154 жыл бұрын
I've never ever seen these things before. And I have been growing tomatoes forever. Going to count my blessings!!
@beanny02684 жыл бұрын
When I lived in idaho we had sooooooo many of these but the gardens I've had in Missouri have never gotten any, which i'm quite thankful for lol.
@goldenretriever154 жыл бұрын
@@beanny0268 That's good for you anyway. I'm in MI only an hour away from Luke so I am kind of surprised I haven't ever had them.
@leeannluigi16442 жыл бұрын
OMG!! Thank God I watched this video months ago because I just found 3 tomato hornworms in my tomato bed. If I hadn't watched this video earlier I would have passed out when I found them. Thank you @MiGardener 💓 😘
@missyjenkins28747 жыл бұрын
This is my first year gardening. I had some really nice tomato plants but then I noticed how all the leaves had disappeared from my plants. The stalks were still green but no leaves. Upon research on the Internet I came across several sites that recommended using neem oil as a pesticide. The neem oil did work on other bugs in the garden but not the big green caterpillar I finally discovered on my tomato plants. Then I see this video tonight and figured out what I am dealing with. Now I will look for BT. Is there a particular brand you recommend?
@Itried20takennames Жыл бұрын
Some sources recommend a dilute biodegradable soap mix (like 4 tsp in a gallon), sprayed on in the evening. It works on some other pests, but not sure if it actually works for hornworms. And beware…where there is one, there are usually more…they blend in with the green of the tomato foliage so well.
@Lew_and_Phyllis_White7 жыл бұрын
Wasps are the best. Once the larvae matures, your hornworm is dead and you have more beneficial insects.
@Sandylion175 жыл бұрын
Phyllis White it’s funny cuz last year I saw a wasp fly by my cherry tomato tree and hang around one spot and he got a worm and went flying away with it I swear it reminded me of a bugs life cartoon movie but I was happy he found the worm before I did the next day he came looking for more worms and got a second one I wasnt sure if he was Saving the worms or eating them lol it look funny seeing him get it and fly away lol
@richardprovenzano9042 жыл бұрын
Very informative. Just saw those on my tomato plants. Picked them off and gave them the boot. We’ll actually under my boot.
@The_New_Abnormal_World_Order4 жыл бұрын
I found one on my basil the other day, it was freaky!! I didn't know that it likes to eat tomato plants, the tomatoes are near the basil. It was well disguised as part of the plant. We found another one as well, I saw how much they wriggle when someone moved it, they look very strong (I didn't want to touch it myself!) Very informative video thank you.
@Gandoff20005 жыл бұрын
Yes. Went away for a week in the summer and when I got back, the tomatoes were decimated. In just a week.
@jillspady64505 жыл бұрын
I like the hawk moth! They're gorgeous. I plant 2 sacrificial tomatoes and move them to those
@lanalorenzen5 жыл бұрын
I've thought about doing that. Think I'll do that next spring.
@katsuooda77445 жыл бұрын
I'm taking care of one to watch it pupilize and turn into a moth
@lynnmoss21274 жыл бұрын
Awesome!
@lynnmoss21274 жыл бұрын
Wish more people thought like you. Love Love Love
@kennethmcdonald29874 жыл бұрын
My wife does this also says it's not fair to let the butterflies eat but not the moths though she does remove them from her favorite tomatoes putting them in another area on her not so favorite some of the ones she has relocated turned out to be luna moths instead of hawk moths a species in her opinion that put some butterflies to shame I can't tell the difference in the caterpillars but she can If she had her way the whole farm would be for butterflies and hummingbirds if a caterpillar eats some of our veggies no big deal chickens don't care if they have a hole in them from the bugs eating on them always have more than enough to go around in our tomatoes anyways
@mzimmerman126 жыл бұрын
I grew my tomato plants in buckets on the cement patio. Everyday the small droppings were easy to see. Just look straight up from the droppings to find them. You'll learn what size worm to look for by the size of the dropping. Then sweep the droppings away so you can tell when a new one shows up. If I had my tomatoes in a planter or garden, I would lay down some white plastic so I could see the droppings better.
@attyjim14 жыл бұрын
I know this comment is a tad late but I loved this production. I have a city garden in RI and was paid a visit by one of these nastys last year. They cling so hard to the stem that I had to prune it for it’s removal. Now check this out. I literally just tossed it to the end of my driveway and a Blue Jay swooped in for the score. It was an amusing piece of nature to witness esp in a City. Great tip re green pellets too. Happy to report that as if this AM my Heirlooms, Habs & MOA Scotch Bonnets are chugging along! Pax, Jim.
@joannhopkins13967 жыл бұрын
I generally notice the foliage damage or I noticed the white wasp larvae on them and I just pulled them off and put them down in a bucket with diatomaceous earth or if I think I have more than one I would just sprinkle diatomaceous earth on my plants lightly I may leave the diatomaceous earth on the plants for 48 hours but then I spray them off with the garden hose I certainly don't want to kill the honey bees that pollinate for me!
@thetacountry44876 жыл бұрын
They look sort of like the caterpillar in Alice in wonderland 🤔
@bullirish5 жыл бұрын
Whoo are Yooooouuuuuuu?
@pinkbutterflies16795 жыл бұрын
Theta Country I was thinking the same thing. I have never seen on in my state? I think it might be to hot 🥵 for them in the desert 🌵
@mzmishel79534 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the video! I picked at least 7 or 8 hornworms off my tomato and pepper plants this week! Yuck! I’m using my BT spray and picking too. I live in a hot climate and those buggers must thrive here.
@janpenland36866 жыл бұрын
Thanks for reminding me that I didn't check for hornworms a few hours ago. Found a big one...fed it to my chickens...yummy treat for them.
@brettflatt9294 жыл бұрын
Hello Jan Penland GTSY
@jbfam72087 жыл бұрын
Thx Luke...once again, great content. My chickens absolutely love love love them. When they peck into them, the worm explodes and all your tomato plant juice/hornworm guts goes everywhere. The hormworm is like my mother in-law that lives with me, eats all my food and doesnt even pay rent. Ugh...annoying!!!
@barbarawaters65145 жыл бұрын
You are funny, can't stop laughing.
@sj82053 жыл бұрын
Don’t let your M-I-L read this!
@donna93847 жыл бұрын
I had one worm take out every leaf on 2 plants over night. Those things are so ugly lol. I've alway thought they would make good fishing bait cause the skin is so tough.
@michelepaccione88067 жыл бұрын
The fourth method is to leave any hornworms with braconid wasp larvae on them (they look like white eggs on the back of the hornworm) right where they are. That way the larvae will hatch and the wasps will find and kill the hornworms for you. They've cut my hornworm problem down from hundreds of hornworms per season to maybe a half dozen or so.
@anakhan37115 жыл бұрын
Lol, they do seems to become giants overnight! They are huge, disgusting things and I am terrified of them - gives me the creeps, but we love out tomatoes; they grow so beautifully. The hand picking only my son's can do it. I look at them and run! Yes, they do love the top leaves and even pose for a picture on top of the hill! Yikes! They do blend in perfectly: I never knew until I saw the first one. Ran for my life. Will definitely follow your instructions! Did not know they double the size a day! Now, that explains it: My son's picked at least 3-4 of them a day, and I wondered: Where were they yesterday that we did not see! Thanks a million! Beautiful garden of yours :) ♥
@comradegarrett12027 жыл бұрын
Could BT spread to other caterpillars like monarchs and swallowtail? I wouldn't want to damage pollinator species
@tedh75435 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't think so as long as you don't spray milkweed or anything other than your tomato plants. We typically don't see moths or butterflies on our tomato plants. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed. Swallowtail lay their eggs on fennel, dill, parsley and carrots and we don't spray BT on any of those plants.
@sashasoule45854 жыл бұрын
Moths are pollinator species I believe
@tosha05084 жыл бұрын
Sasha Soule hornworms become hummingbird moths, so yes they do help pollinate
@lodgefamilyhomestead80387 жыл бұрын
my blight kept the tomato horn worms at at bay! lol
@garyb49295 жыл бұрын
Yeah, used that method before also😕
@markasteelsr.59904 жыл бұрын
I'm fighting the blight and now these dam worms!
@SherryBrubakerPollock4 жыл бұрын
MIgardener - your garden is impressive! And possibly a bit large for this tip, but for those of us with fewer plants who are willing to handpick the hornworms, they aren't green or large as babies. Instead they start out small and dark brown with a goldish stripe and no tail. I knew to look for hornworms after noticing fecal matter and partially eaten tomatoes like you showed but they'd eaten very little foliage at that point. At that young stage, they looked like the yellow and brown sun damage that was already on some of the other leaves so I almost missed them. I picked the little ones off and added them to my birdfeeders, but never thought to do the same with the big ones. If I catch anymore this year, the birds are in for a treat!!
@dahliaserrato17064 жыл бұрын
Found one of these buggers on my tomatoes. Brought him inside, named him Monch. I feed him store tomatoes and very much look forward to his transformation into a big, beautiful moth. They are such soft, plump babes.
@MyPerfectMischief4 жыл бұрын
They may not eat red tomatoes, so tomato leaves and green tomatoes might be best. They bury themselves in the dirt when they're ready to cocoon, so make sure you have that handy :)
@dahliaserrato17064 жыл бұрын
My Perfect Mischief Thank you!
@dahliaserrato17064 жыл бұрын
My Perfect Mischief I’m happy to say that monch has just become a big, beautiful moth. Thanks for the great advice, wish you could see him! #proudparent 🦋 haha
@MyPerfectMischief4 жыл бұрын
@@dahliaserrato1706 - aww that's so cool! I'm glad Monch has transitioned to its next stage of life 😀
@SharonCreamer6719565 жыл бұрын
If I may add: to get you tomato plants off to a good start, take a paper cup, take the bottom out, insert the plant into the paper cup and plant with the cup a 1/2 inch to an inch underground. This will prevent the cutworms from being able to get to your plants.
@RodeoCowgirl-553 жыл бұрын
I will try that next year
@gfrench35 жыл бұрын
I just found 9 on my plant this afternoon here in Texas. They destroyed 80% of the plant. This morning it looked great this afternoon it look like death. I hate these things.
@anthonycole32205 жыл бұрын
I found 5 here in North Alabama today just noticed yesterday morning the big ones can cut a plant down almost over night
@susieford39546 жыл бұрын
Just found 2 fat, fat, fat hornworms on tomatoes and pepper. They are sooooooo gross. First time ever for me in MI but in NC they were a plague for sure!!!!! Thanks for all of your awesome MI Gardener videos. Love them!
@charlesstock644 жыл бұрын
Love picking them off and putting on driveway. Within minutes, a robin or bluebird gets a nice snack! Also have flowers that attract parasitic wasps and tachnid flies. Found one hornworm this AM loaded with tachnid fly or wasp eggs on it. Like having your own “Alien” movie in your garden.
@JayPabz3 жыл бұрын
What's ironic is that I do gardening and, at the same time, I love taking care of caterpillars in general.
@everythingsunflowersandmor26317 жыл бұрын
Luke, BT is great for some worms and caterpillars 🐛 but it is extremely harmful for Monarchs and other butterflies 🦋. People think it is safe because it is organic and considered safe but it is extremely harmful to the Monarch populations. Blessings to you family and your garden looks amazing!
@leoragrasl64744 жыл бұрын
For the first time in my life I realized we had hornworms after noticing the tops of our plants chewed down and pellet droppings everywhere! I posted for help on Facebook and friends new exactly what was going on, including attaching this great video of yours! We ended up with at least a dozen worms - maybe more! Upon more research I discovered there’s actually a tobacco worm and tomato worm. The difference is the either straight line or v-shapes markings on their sides. They’re are 7 lines. What you had and I also had are actually the tobacco variety! Anyway, I’d attach a video of the box of them we collected if I could. We took them and dumped them in woods. I didn’t want to kill them. Maybe we should have!
@rhw78795 жыл бұрын
I am surprised that you had that many, with all the basil plants next to them. Last year, I added basil and a bunch of flowers that attracted bees and wasps and that took care of most of them until around August when they took revenge after a hurricane came by and tore up my garden. I've heard that peppermint oil works really good if you spray the plants. Rob
@tabithacawthorne75455 жыл бұрын
Rob Westergard mine are surrounded by basil on one side and marigolds all around but still got them :(
@thetobaccoguy17517 жыл бұрын
Those suckers hit my tobacco plants. I enjoy throwing them to my chickens for some tug-of-war.
@themundayreview89285 жыл бұрын
My husband picked 25 off 4 tomato plants 😭 nursing them back to health currently.
@stefaniethomsen81494 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your information on hornworms. This is exactly what I thought it was, but you covered all of my questions as I am a first time gardener.
@linr73423 жыл бұрын
BT is also great for getting rid of mosquito larva and wax moths on stored frames with comb made by my honeybees. The hornworms also make good fish bait.
@HoosierBenzo7 жыл бұрын
I need to go check my plants now... horn worm paranoia! 🌱
@CJ-qj3pk7 жыл бұрын
Oh my gosh, last year I tried to pull one off a tomato branch and I tell you truthfully, it turned it's head and spit brown juice at me.
@michellebarham3266 жыл бұрын
CJ Ewww!🤢
@toykawilliams32735 жыл бұрын
😱 YUK!
@justarandomsovietofficerwi20235 жыл бұрын
Self defence mechanism?
@catherinegrace23664 жыл бұрын
I’ve heard of that. I hope you made mincemeat of that sucker.
@kat19843 жыл бұрын
I have a ton of cabbage loopers this summer but I don't have a single brassica growing. They seem to love my cucumber leaves, beans, and tomatoes.
@ashleyb57067 жыл бұрын
I've picked off well over 30 of these this year. I hate them but my chickens do love them lol Thank you so much for making this video!!
@Lhifeeq6 жыл бұрын
If you hand pick them, they make a very satisfying popping sound when you step on them.
@polaniecj7 жыл бұрын
I put my tobacco horn worms in a bird feeder. Blue jays go crazy for them and start bugging me for more. Lol
@dawnmorning5 жыл бұрын
Found one pn4my tomatoes July 15, 2019 and this video confirms it. Thanks for the video.
@ThesmartestTem4 жыл бұрын
We have sparrows that have nested on our porch awning. We've let them stay because 1. The cats love to sit in the windows and watch them, and 2. They are amazing pets control! I don't start getting any garden pests until they leave for the season. But while they are here, those guys are out in my garden every morning hunting down breakfast. We also have a pair of cardinals living somewhere near by that I often see sitting on the fence looking for a snack.
@zella20155 жыл бұрын
Glad I found this video! I had two in my tomato plant and they ate 20 tomatoes I had growing 🤦😔 #sad Lol
@contactjoy41405 жыл бұрын
Zaniya Veles no doubt you had more than 2 horn worms. They hide very well and are difficult to find while there is foliage on the plants. If you have chickens let them graze in your garden. They'll eat a variety of insects and deposit fertilizer so it's a Win-Win! Also check at night, 2 hours after dark for slugs. During the day slugs stay under mulch, leaves etc then come out at night by the thousands and devour all plants. Use a spring-type clothespin to pluck slugs from plants and ground, then drop them into a throwaway bowl of saltwater which kills them. Slugs are extremely slimy... don't use your fingers. 😳
@GretaBeth6 жыл бұрын
🤢OMG that thing is huge!! 🤮I may scream if I touch it. I can’t go to bed with this video as my last image and thought🤢
@dliciousgurl416 жыл бұрын
Yes and they get even bigger than that.
@Teri313-4 жыл бұрын
You can also actually hear them eating, crunching away. I've found them that way. When I kept ducks, it was a good day for them when a tomato hornworm was plucked from the garden. They would fight over it, running around the yard trying to get it away from each other. So gross. But you're absolutely correct at how quickly they will take a plant down. When we first started gardening 20 years ago, our whole tomato garden (about 8 large plants) was decimated in a day.
@NorthtoHopeDesert_Hues6 жыл бұрын
Several years ago I came home from work and found my 2 tomato plants completely stripped. I found 16 horn worms on what was left of the plants and fed them to the chickens. I just found 5 on one of my tomato plants yesterday. I took a pair of scissors to them. I plan to look for more today.I hope to get chickens again someday.