Huge Horned Caterpillar

[tiffster011]

I just located one of the culprits that has been devouring my bell pepper plants and has begun eating my egg plant leaves also. I am assuming that there are more of these horned caterpillars in my garden. I read that they are often underground and that why you don't see them. My question is how do I get rid of them. I pulled the one off my pepper plant, but I am sure there are more... I just can't see them.

I think it is a Tomato hornworm flickr.com/photos/65602608@N00/493170909 This isn't the actual caterpillar in my garden.. But it looks pretty close. I read they have an appetite for peppers, egg plant and tomatoes.. That would be about right for the destruction in the garden

[ovenbird]

It is a pretty thing! But you don't want it eating the pepper plants. Sorry I don't know what to recommend. Even if they are underground, maybe they come out in the evening. See if you can find them just after dark and squish them and lay them out where the birds can find them.

[SpaceAge]

They do not come from underground , a moth lays eggs on the underside of a leaf ... for earlier detection than half of your plant is stubbed , ... look for multiple turds on the ground and then go hunting , turning leaves up to look underneath

[cdmccreary]

BGW Big Green Worm

I have had two of these but they did not go for the tomatoes. They only went for the jalepeno peppers not the sweet bells.

[Zephyrbird5a-6]

It's a rite of passage for mater and pepper growers - every year, plucking them off and feeding them to the birds.

Been doing it for years. Even taught the neighborhood kids to do it! More eyes the better, and the grosser and bigger the worm, the more the kids love it.

Had really clean maters this year.

Just pluck them off, throw them far far away for the birds.

[TennOC]

Hornworms don't go underground, they eat night and day is why they're so destructive. BT dusted around will get them or if you just have a few plants, hand-pick.

[Maelstrom]

They turn into giant moths that freak out my wife...that is, if they live long enough!

[stone]

Originally Posted by tiffster011

I just located one of the culprits that has been devouring my bell pepper plants and has begun eating my egg plant leaves also. I am assuming that there are more of these horned caterpillars in my garden. I read that they are often underground and that why you don't see them. My question is how do I get rid of them. I pulled the one off my pepper plant, but I am sure there are more... I just can't see them.

I think it is a Tomato hornworm flickr.com/photos/65602608@N00/493170909 This isn't the actual caterpillar in my garden.. But it looks pretty close. I read they have an appetite for peppers, egg plant and tomatoes.. That would be about right for the destruction in the garden

Originally Posted by SpaceAge

They do not come from underground , a moth lays eggs on the underside of a leaf ... for earlier detection than half of your plant is stubbed , ... look for multiple turds on the ground and then go hunting , turning leaves up to look underneath

Originally Posted by Maelstrom

They turn into giant moths that freak out my wife...that is, if they live long enough!

There is a caterpillar that comes from underground in my garden... (I've been calling it a cut worm) just to call it something... but it's not a [tomato] hornworm.

When the horn-worm gets through it's larval stage, it does go underground... becomes a brown cocoon... then becomes a really cool moth that hovers around the 4 o'clock & datura blooms at dusk.

http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/msextsex.htm

[ElmerMudguaard]

In my garden I have extra tomatoes that I use to feed these horn worms so that they can grow and turn into spinx moths. Learn to hand pick them rather than using poison. Or soak some ciger and cigarettes in water and spray it on the leaves. The other natural method is to use the different flowers that the moths don't like. Using poisons is not good for you or the the things you grow.

[SpaceAge]

Originally Posted by stone

There is a caterpillar that comes from underground in my garden... (I've been calling it a cut worm) just to call it something... but it's not a [tomato] hornworm.

When the horn-worm gets through it's larval stage, it does go underground... becomes a brown cocoon... then becomes a really cool moth that hovers around the 4 o'clock & datura blooms at dusk.

http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/msextsex.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When the horn-worm gets through it's larval stage, it does go underground... becomes a brown cocoon... then becomes a really cool moth that hovers around the 4 o'clock & datura blooms at dusk."

LOL !

Well Yeah... but , by then yer 'Maters are STUBBS !

DOH !