3 Tips to Controlling & Preventing Tomato Hornworm Organically

[@jessiecatmeow419]

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 😂

[@danniellaboling3890]

That's amazing

[@rebeccataber4448]

great idea! i hate touching them too, I'm going to grab one of the girls next one I find!

[@shad0wCh8ser]

Chopsticks works. I leave them for the wild birds.

[@diamondmoonwolf]

Lol, how nice

[@keekeejenkins6162]

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!

[@dcsmith796]

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."

[@beautifulmess3707]

That's a great idea, thanks for sharing that.

[@azraikezoe388]

Yellow Diamond how you know that, you tried it?

[@rosejafari8917]

My chickens like them.

[@earthisflat]

@Yellow Diamond and u know this how? Have u personally studied the taste buds of a bird lol?

[@wardroland270]

Hornworms taste great.

[@bluegoddess16]

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!!

[@GrandpaD78]

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!

[@dixsigns1717]

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... :)

[@daruandu]

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. 😂

[@mzlovehard]

😂😂🤣

[@DH-wf5kr]

Trent Hunter thanks very much for the video it was very helpful I am a new gardener this is good information

[@g.alistar7798]

Size 10 boot works as well…

[@daruandu]

@@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. 🤣

[@theredcomet844]

Holistic you say. (Me with acupuncture needles)

[@terryTA]

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.

[@cathyversteeg3051]

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.

[@aloras405]

Crystal Catnip the black light will also make powdery mildew fluoresce too.

[@jenniferw8963]

@@aloras405 Good to know thank you!

[@deannblevins7352]

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!!!

[@annafontenot8914]

You can find stunk bugs also, their belly glows

[@southernroots2229]

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.

[@hs4good1]

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.

[@larryblevins7055]

Our chickens won’t eat them!

[@jenniferswims2602]

I just planted some for that reason!

[@charlietallman9583]

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!"

[@rhuffstedtler]

This video was easily one of the ten most helpful gardening videos I’ve ever watched

[@djio5952]

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.

[@andreaoftheland]

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

[@BetsyH]

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.

[@EJaramillo]

Probably they could grip on and climb up. I’m going to try that next year.

[@jessicah3450]

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.

[@mitchellbarker9368]

@@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.

[@corriebreunsbach7331]

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. 😖

[@tyronin6504]

Corrie Breunsbach 😂 I understand your comment all to well!

[@corriebreunsbach7331]

Johnathan Custom yeah, you know, the scream that starts in your toes! 😂

[@corriebreunsbach7331]

Johnathan Custom yeah, you know, the scream that starts in your toes! 😂

[@VaughnMalecki]

Corrie Breunsbach I heard. Over in Shelby Township. I'm sure of it. You scared me.

[@GoddessAngelinaj]

2? I grew 10 plants last year and stopped counting when I reached about 123!

[@sli8]

They also stand out under UV light. This can help you find them at night.

[@teem9010]

did you try this yourself?

[@mountebank5034]

@@teem9010 I would assume the UV light would make the white lines on the worms' sides glow noticeably.

[@solinvictus39]

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.

[@annaoneill4769]

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 😂

[@skada3242]

Yes! They glow bright green and the small ones are easier to find.

[@shirgo5700]

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.

[@1forthepeople969]

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.

[@jenniferswims2602]

So do I! I love finding them and giving them to my chickens! I feel accomplished! Lol

[@JacobsTrouble]

After watching this video. I caught 2 of them on my plants!!!!! 2 of them! Thank-you. You are the real MVP.

[@charlescoker7752]

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.

[@cosmicvibestarot5353]

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

[@Cklassy]

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!

[@leeannluigi1644]

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 💓 😘

[@marykater.7169]

"Then you can use the chicken manure to fertilize your tomatoes. " "The circle of liiiife..."

[@joannoliveira7945]

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!

[@TheEMC2003]

This year, for the first time, I haven't had any hornworms. I planted basil & marigolds & that seems to have helped tons.

[@rickgoddard6925]

I plant marigolds 4 last 23 years all gone 2nd year to present

[@TheDkavz]

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!

[@Hookedonfaith-akasandramoody]

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!

[@cindykq8086]

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.

[@DonnaKohl458]

@@cindykq8086 Haha!

[@jmichellea4041]

Blergh! Lol!

[@cln3033]

Sandra Moody 2#0

[@dbirdeycapozzi9807]

Yes Sandra Moody, he said 3 ways: picking by hand, USE SOME 'BT' SPRAY, and cultivate birds living on your property.

[@FaithforMoney]

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.

[@stevendaniel5649]

I'm fighting hornworms with a whip and a chair! Jurassic Park all over again..... .....

[@shym9933]

Make friends with Jays and crows they love um!

[@lidip8700]

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

[@ericagraham302]

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.

[@PartTimePermies]

That's cool. I never thought of that one!

[@onism3053]

I used to do that too

[@onism3053]

+Jacob Gilbert I think the hornworm is beautiful though

[@emmaw.6872]

Whaaa that’s so cool!?

[@roxannecarr8355]

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.

[@lgrillo]

Terrific segment. I noticed the droppings yesterday and wondered what they were. A quick Google search and I got my answers! Thank you!

[@JC-mx1mk]

If you wait till dark and shine a 'blacklight" flashlight, they will glow and be easily seen. 15 bucks on Amazon!

[@OmShanteShanteShante]

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🙏

[@huntercool2232]

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... 😂

[@DanielleT77]

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.

[@beautifulfretboard2299]

I have a hard time seeing them

[@Rich206L]

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

[@goldenretriever15]

I've never ever seen these things before. And I have been growing tomatoes forever. Going to count my blessings!!

[@beanny0268]

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.

[@goldenretriever15]

@@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.

[@kathleenambrose877]

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!

[@toykawilliams3273]

Kathleen, that is an awesome idea!!! Happy you, happy moths!

[@beautifulfretboard2299]

😬

[@andreawimer4334]

Why encourage them to reproduce?

[@attyjim1]

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.

[@usakiwi5222]

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.

[@JordanasBoutiqueTx]

usakiwi5222 omg me too I cringe ughh... yuck yuck they really creep me out

[@michaeljohnson3976]

Great idea!

[@cynthiamoon372]

Super bait for fishing.

[@cindykq8086]

Great idea, drown the little bastids.

[@wenisos1947]

I think there kinda cute.they look like caterpie from pokemon

[@richardprovenzano904]

Very informative. Just saw those on my tomato plants. Picked them off and gave them the boot. We’ll actually under my boot.

[@bekahp44]

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.

[@FreedomNurse]

I discovered this today. I just cut off the branch and toss them In the woods.

[@lepidlover0557]

Lol, caterpillars. They think you're gonna eat THEM!! 😂

[@beautifulfretboard2299]

Use a glove and pick them off

[@andreawimer4334]

@@happyhomeandgardenjohndawne ewww 😫

[@SherryBrubakerPollock]

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!!

[@missyjenkins2874]

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]

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.

[@ashleyb5706]

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!!

[@stephanie9851]

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!

[@bruces6778]

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.

[@keelymunoz6960]

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.

[@Ang.0910]

Caught my first one today mid September on my cherry tomato plant. Actually my first pest all season. Hopefully he was the only one. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more now.

[@Iliketoboard]

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.

[@DelMarMermaids]

This video was super helpful as I have been struggling with these worn worms for the last week!

[@OFFGRIDwithDOUGSTACY]

they will eat through you garden SO FAST ... seriously

[@contactjoy4140]

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!

[@susang9306]

It Took them 6 hours to destroy my husbands huge tomato plant ! Six hours and bald !

[@teddy303]

@@susang9306 ya 6 hours for my grape plant and bald too after i got back from work!!

[@sminthian]

@@contactjoy4140 Chickens eat everything. If you let them in the garden they'll eat the caterpillars, tomatoes, leaves, stems...

[@ferretboul]

Dealing with this now.

[@kat1984]

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.

[@Brick_Chick]

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)

[@paulk5311]

i have heard marigolds also keep them away. i am trying that this year.

[@paulk5311]

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.

[@meljordan220]

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.

[@joycezuiderveen3625]

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.

[@jadeperri5183]

Or can you plant the moonflowers, so the moth will lay eggs there instead of on your tomatoes? Would that work?

[@joycezuiderveen3625]

@@jadeperri5183 The moonflowers act like a light. The plant is not a food source, the tomato plant is the food source.

[@laurajean223]

Thanks for providing such reliable information in all your videos! I also need a strategy for dealing with squash vine borers. I’ve searched your video history for one about squash vine borers but haven’t found one yet.

[@MrsMcVarro]

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.

[@dannyeverage8198]

Good video. I always find a few on my tomatoes every year. This year only 4 so far-but i check my plants daily. I usually just hand pick-tweezers will work or even two scraps of wood is sufficient. I have used BT also-but I need to restock-the BT has a shelf life even in ideal conditions.

[@CreatingEssence]

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.

[@debiesubaugher]

Creating Essence lol northern Virginia too.

[@Tommy-zg1yd]

My sugar glider love hornworms!

[@tristacrumbley6663]

Lol.DEATH.VALLEY TOTALLY LOVE THAT HAHAHA..

[@susannerauch8237]

I live in southern VA too, and OMG they are AWFUL here!

[@rosygee9937]

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!

[@suzannemaple8030]

I pick them off with needle-nosed pliers. In the past, I have drowned them in warm soapy water. This year my neighbor has a crew of chickens so I will be repurposing the hornworms. What is the BC that you also recommend? I like that idea because it would help with so many other veggies.

[@Redberryfarm888]

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!

[@andreawimer4334]

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.

[@comradegarrett1202]

Could BT spread to other caterpillars like monarchs and swallowtail? I wouldn't want to damage pollinator species

[@tedh7543]

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.

[@sashasoule4585]

Moths are pollinator species I believe

[@tosha0508]

Sasha Soule hornworms become hummingbird moths, so yes they do help pollinate

[@The_New_Abnormal_World_Order]

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.

[@thetacountry4487]

They look sort of like the caterpillar in Alice in wonderland 🤔

[@bullirish]

Whoo are Yooooouuuuuuu?

[@pinkbutterflies1679]

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 🌵

[@jacquelinehill6560]

Last year we went on vacation and came home to over two dozen of them! Thankfully I had enough tomatoes to share! So I had some left over.

[@joannhopkins1396]

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!

[@monama3042]

Thanks that was very helpful. I didn't know that these tomato hornworms were a thing. I didn't realize what was eating my plant until now. The video was incredibly helpful.

[@JayPabz]

What's ironic is that I do gardening and, at the same time, I love taking care of caterpillars in general.

[@mzimmerman12]

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.

[@HoosierBenzo]

I need to go check my plants now... horn worm paranoia! 🌱

[@paulineottaviano3462]

I saw one a long time ago but didn’t know what it was. Thanks for the information. I’ll be on the lookout for them.

[@donna9384]

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.

[@stefaniethomsen8149]

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.

[@CJ-qj3pk]

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.

[@michellebarham326]

CJ Ewww!🤢

[@toykawilliams3273]

😱 YUK!

[@justarandomsovietofficerwi2023]

Self defence mechanism?

[@catherinegrace2366]

I’ve heard of that. I hope you made mincemeat of that sucker.

[@jerryholston6536]

I did enjoy your video and another thing is to plant basil and marigolds and something else I can't remember what that is to help prevent the hornworms I did put basil around every tomato planter plan this year and so far I've only have one tomato hornworm but I did unfortunately have a few of those little tobacco worms they go for the tomato itself but they weren't too bad either so I guess the basil really does help some people say that basil make the tomatoes sweeter sorry for the spelling errors I'm using the microphone and once again I do enjoy your videos

[@Lew_and_Phyllis_White]

Wasps are the best. Once the larvae matures, your hornworm is dead and you have more beneficial insects.

[@Sandylion17]

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

[@lindaowens2959]

How does your leaves look so green and so clean? Do you spray them off ?

[@lodgefamilyhomestead8038]

my blight kept the tomato horn worms at at bay! lol

[@garyb4929]

Yeah, used that method before also😕

[@markasteelsr.5990]

I'm fighting the blight and now these dam worms!

[@susieford3954]

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!

[@Gandoff2000]

Yes. Went away for a week in the summer and when I got back, the tomatoes were decimated. In just a week.

[@ulricagollop8528]

Amazing info. My peppers were having a challenging time with two of those caterpillars. Thanks for the info

[@jillspady6450]

I like the hawk moth! They're gorgeous. I plant 2 sacrificial tomatoes and move them to those

[@lanalorenzen]

I've thought about doing that. Think I'll do that next spring.

[@katsuooda7744]

I'm taking care of one to watch it pupilize and turn into a moth

[@lynnmoss2127]

Awesome!

[@lynnmoss2127]

Wish more people thought like you. Love Love Love

[@kennethmcdonald2987]

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

[@rhw7879]

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

[@tabithacawthorne7545]

Rob Westergard mine are surrounded by basil on one side and marigolds all around but still got them :(

[@zella2015]

Glad I found this video! I had two in my tomato plant and they ate 20 tomatoes I had growing 🤦😔 #sad Lol

[@contactjoy4140]

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. 😳

[@julie4613]

I just ran across your video and believe you me I'm glad I did I went out to my timing garden and found this thing on my tomato plants with these white dots didn't even know it was a caterpillar but in fact I found two of them and they were both tomato hornworms it's the first time I've ever had them and didn't know if they were good or bad but I didn't like them so I remove them and get rid of them and hearing about all the damage they can do I will be on the lookout for more thank you so much for your videos they're so helpful

[@thetobaccoguy1751]

Those suckers hit my tobacco plants. I enjoy throwing them to my chickens for some tug-of-war.

[@bwayne40004]

When my family had a dairy farm in KY we raised tobacco. We would have a plane spray for suckers and worms at the right time but you still would have a few worms. Tobacco and tomato worms are very, very close in appearance (and size!). When we would house tobacco in the barn the worms would fall off as the cut plants dried. Great fun dodging falling tobacco worms while working in the barn.

[@polaniecj]

I put my tobacco horn worms in a bird feeder. Blue jays go crazy for them and start bugging me for more. Lol

[@janpenland3686]

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.

[@brettflatt929]

Hello Jan Penland GTSY

[@everythingsunflowersandmor2631]

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!

[@christinagardener1889]

I found one in my garden today. Now I know what to do. Thanks!

[@jbfam7208]

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!!!

[@barbarawaters6514]

You are funny, can't stop laughing.

[@sj8205]

Don’t let your M-I-L read this!

[@rjb6327]

Just picked off 10 of the little suckers. They were only about an inch long but did they do a job on my plants. Did like my Father did. One squeeze between thumb and forefinger and they are gone.

[@SharonCreamer671956]

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-55]

I will try that next year

[@leoragrasl6474]

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!

[@GretaBeth]

🤢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🤢

[@emmebot77]

Yes and they get even bigger than that.

[@dawnmorning]

Found one pn4my tomatoes July 15, 2019 and this video confirms it. Thanks for the video.