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Old July 11, 2021   #1
Shrinkrap
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Default "Stalk borer", horror, or hornworm?

On my tomato plants. I took off a stem where the really big hole is. Minor wilting, and dying leaves above. Will BT or spinosad work?
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Old July 12, 2021   #2
Yak54
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In my years of tomato growing I have never seen this phenomenon
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Old July 12, 2021   #3
PaulF
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A borer of some kind. Make sure to open the stem and kill the borer. I had on ten years ago and it was a solitary worm thank goodness. The plant it got into was dead in a day. I killed the bugger (the caterpillar) and nothing else was infected.

I have read that spraying BT is one way to keep the worms away. Also putting a collar around the stem will keep them from climbing up the stalk.
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Old July 13, 2021   #4
brownrexx
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I would definitely cut that stem open and then identify the caterpillar for future reference.
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Old July 14, 2021   #5
Shrinkrap
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Thanks everyone!!
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Old July 14, 2021   #6
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I cut it open but found nothing but the Jack's Dead Bug dust and a few aphids.
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Old July 14, 2021   #7
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That is so strange. Looks like it bored into the stem and then left. Maybe some bug made a mistake and bored into the wrong plant and it was not able to eat it for some reason.
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Old July 15, 2021   #8
Shrinkrap
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Here's someone removing one! I found a similar looking cat in two tomatoes from that plant.I thought she was going to cut herself with that boxcutter.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2CFLGY9fx8

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Old July 15, 2021   #9
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Looks like the tomato fruitworm especially since you found them in the tomatoes which is where they are usually found.
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Old July 22, 2021   #10
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I found one!

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Old July 23, 2021   #11
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I think that you have a tomato fruitworm who made a mistake and went into the stalk instead of a tomato.

They can be green, brown or reddish in color. You can Google some photos.
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Old July 23, 2021   #12
Shrinkrap
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Thank you, and yes; that's what it is!
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