one is bad but seven is deadly!!

patty_b · July 10, 2012

I do not grow much in containers but thought this summer I would try growing my extra Tip Top tomato plants in a small container. They were looking great.. that is until today when I looked at them. Nothing much left.. all seven worms deceased!!

cornbreadlouie · July 10, 2012

Yowza, that's a lot of worms! Haven't seen any in my garden this year, luckily.

Definitely check the rest of your plants!

lakelady · July 10, 2012

HOLY COW, that was a tomato? oh boy. makes me want to get the bt out again. I don't think i will get anything on the provenzano they got to. It's growing again, but not sure those blossoms will set in this heat. so sad.

kath · July 10, 2012

Yikes! Sorry about your poor plant.

I was squishing up to about a dozen a day earlier in the season and then there were none- until today when I saw the first one in a few weeks.

So far they've all been caught when less than an inch long because the tiny holes they've made have been a clue, not big enough that poo is the clue. The armyworms have been more persistent but fewer in number. Not a big enough problem at the moment to warrant spraying bt.

Riceloft · July 11, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by patty_b

I do not grow much in containers but thought this summer I would try growing my extra Tip Top tomato plants in a small container. They were looking great.. that is until today when I looked at them. Nothing much left.. all seven worms deceased!!

Wow! Where in Ohio are you? I haven't ever seen a hornworm up where I am....

*knocks on wood*

PA_Julia · July 11, 2012

Thank God nothing like this so far this year as Julia knocks on own head for wood.

Julia

baileyj · July 14, 2012

I also thought I didn't have any H.worms.....I have been spraying once a week with BT for the past 3 weeks just in case.

When I really started to hunt for them, looking at every small, tiny hole on every leaf...I found them...small but voracious---now dead.

I found about 3 today, about 3/4 inch long...that cup of warm soapy water takes care of them...then a good spraying of BT.

I was very naive thinking they were not a problem....
Hope I have them under control but am ever vigilant these days !

babice · July 14, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by patty_b

I do not grow much in containers but thought this summer I would try growing my extra Tip Top tomato plants in a small container. They were looking great.. that is until today when I looked at them. Nothing much left.. all seven worms deceased!!

OMG - that's terrible. Geesh. I have no clue what to look for with these. So sorry for your loss!

Save$ · July 14, 2012

whow! never had those. get the pellet gun out!

babice · July 14, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

So far they've all been caught when less than an inch long because the tiny holes they've made have been a clue, not big enough that poo is the clue.

Naive newbie question - what do the holes look like. I have had flea beetle holes (tiny little holes all in same spot...like buckshot). What should I look for? Haven't been using BT, although I bought some "just in case".

RobinB · July 15, 2012

Somebody once told me that they glow under a blacklight. Does anybody know if that's true? It might be an easy way to find them. I can just see myself outside with a portable blacklight, or wait... better yet, a fluorescent fixture with a long power cord going from plant to plant!

These guys really creep me out. I usually get a few here and there every year. It makes me nervous this year because I have so many more plants than usual and some of them have very dense foliage.

I do have some BT and some Spinosad and both are supposed to work on hornworms, but it's really hard to cover a plant with any spray once it has grown past a certain point. I know that the sprays have to be on the plant and the worms eat the plant and die. It's too bad they have to start eating my plants first! BaileyJ, it's scary to think that you were spraying regularly and still found hornworms... eeewwww! I guess I better start looking for them regularly, it's about that time!

neoguy · July 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riceloft

Wow! Where in Ohio are you? I haven't ever seen a hornworm up where I am....

*knocks on wood*

Riceloft,

I'm just north of you, near the Zoo, and I picked off 2 this morning that were devastating 2 potted pepper plants.

kath · July 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by babice

Naive newbie question - what do the holes look like. I have had flea beetle holes (tiny little holes all in same spot...like buckshot). What should I look for? Haven't been using BT, although I bought some "just in case".

The holes are bigger than the ones flea beetles make, maybe 1/8 - 1/4", and there were a few of them together on a leaf. The armyworm holes always seem to have tiny black frass on the upper side of the leaf by the holes, but the armyworm was always feeding on the underside.

I saw a hummingbird moth feeding on flowers in my garden yesterday, so I'll be stepping up the spraying and monitoring for the hornworms.

Guess it is that time...

Oh, and Robin, I've heard about the blacklight, too, but not having one, haven't tried it myself.

Riceloft · July 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoguy

Riceloft,

I'm just north of you, near the Zoo, and I picked off 2 this morning that were devastating 2 potted pepper plants.

Oh man. Thats scary! Do you see them every year? Cause this is year #3 for my garden and I have yet to see any! I'm definitely going to check though!

baileyj · July 15, 2012

I plant all my veggies in earthboxes, I have 15 boxes of tomatoes, so I am diligent about watching for them. I did not realize they were there, in all different stages...

About 3 times a week I go out and look at any hole on any leaf on any plant. I found by doing this I have found 2 types of worms, varying sizes from tiny (1/4inch) to 1 inch.

Since I have covers on each box I start out looking for poop on the cover--small blackdots that look similar to eggs...
then I look from the bottom up on each leaf. If I find a hole, any hole, any size, I turn it over --90% of the time I find a worm, very tiny usually just nibbling away. But if I don't get rid of them at that size, they do get bigger and eat more.

I have found tiny light green ones, and then green ones with brown stripes--perhaps another type, but all the same they are eating tomato leaves. I use tweezers to remove them....they do not want to go into the soapy water bath.
Once in the cup....it is over.

If you do not get them at these small stages I have read and seen pictures that they can get to 4 inches long--I think I would die if I saw one that big.
I have seen them 2 inches long last year when I naively thought I had none. The large ones are the ones that decimate the plant like the original poster showed and can do it overnight. If you find one with the white parasitic wasp eggs on it's back they say to leave it so the eggs can hatch and devour the worm from the inside out, how disgusting, but effective

. That's nature at work I guess.

The moths lay the eggs in the soil so it is not always visable until you see the damage.

I also spray weekly with BT, but it has been intermittently raining here, between the 100+ temps so I have had to spray more..BT needs to be reapplied after the rain. Be sure to spray beneath the leaves, not just on top.
I am not sure if I am more observant, which I am this year, or are they more plentiful and I am finding them. Not sure if the weather is the issue with the hot spells.

My advice, don't think because you do not see major damage, or large worms that you are safe....they may be there quietly nibbling away getting larger and larger until it is too late.....

Good luck on your search....
JB

July 10, 2012	#2
cornbreadlouie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: SF bay area... north bay Posts: 242	Yowza, that's a lot of worms! Haven't seen any in my garden this year, luckily. Definitely check the rest of your plants! __________________ Do You Like Worms?

July 14, 2012	#9
Save$ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Maine Posts: 46	whow! never had those. get the pellet gun out! __________________ Love to Garden, Burn Pellets, Have a solar space, cloche and do vertical growing. Will do a lot of canning if I can keep LB away.

July 10, 2012	#3
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	HOLY COW, that was a tomato? oh boy. makes me want to get the bt out again. I don't think i will get anything on the provenzano they got to. It's growing again, but not sure those blossoms will set in this heat. so sad. __________________ Antoniette

July 10, 2012	#4
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Yikes! Sorry about your poor plant. I was squishing up to about a dozen a day earlier in the season and then there were none- until today when I saw the first one in a few weeks. So far they've all been caught when less than an inch long because the tiny holes they've made have been a clue, not big enough that poo is the clue. The armyworms have been more persistent but fewer in number. Not a big enough problem at the moment to warrant spraying bt.

July 11, 2012	#6
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	Thank God nothing like this so far this year as Julia knocks on own head for wood. Julia

July 14, 2012	#7
baileyj Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Annapolis Maryland Zone 7 Posts: 120	I also thought I didn't have any H.worms.....I have been spraying once a week with BT for the past 3 weeks just in case. When I really started to hunt for them, looking at every small, tiny hole on every leaf...I found them...small but voracious---now dead. I found about 3 today, about 3/4 inch long...that cup of warm soapy water takes care of them...then a good spraying of BT. I was very naive thinking they were not a problem.... Hope I have them under control but am ever vigilant these days !

July 15, 2012	#11
RobinB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Near Reno, NV Posts: 1,621	Somebody once told me that they glow under a blacklight. Does anybody know if that's true? It might be an easy way to find them. I can just see myself outside with a portable blacklight, or wait... better yet, a fluorescent fixture with a long power cord going from plant to plant! These guys really creep me out. I usually get a few here and there every year. It makes me nervous this year because I have so many more plants than usual and some of them have very dense foliage. I do have some BT and some Spinosad and both are supposed to work on hornworms, but it's really hard to cover a plant with any spray once it has grown past a certain point. I know that the sprays have to be on the plant and the worms eat the plant and die. It's too bad they have to start eating my plants first! BaileyJ, it's scary to think that you were spraying regularly and still found hornworms... eeewwww! I guess I better start looking for them regularly, it's about that time!