Hornworms are eating my Tomato plants, what do I do?!
Pests in a garden are just part of the ecosystem. Just like weeds in the lawn, there will always be something. As we trail out of spring gardening into summer, we often see Hornworms get the best of peoples attention. In this post we will look at extermination vs preservation!
Hornworms become beautiful Sphinx Moths, which are very beneficial nighttime pollinators. As gardeners, we often jump to the quick solution of spraying something to eliminate the problem without fully understanding its affect on the ecosystem we are creating.
Hornworms feed primarily on the nightshade family containing Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers.
So what do we do to remedy this nuisance?
What is we preserve the life of the hornworm?
Hornworms are the host for a species of wasp larvae as well. They have their place in the food chain amongst other insects and wildlife. They can quickly become a tasty treat for birds in the neighborhood. Here are some ideas for a Hornworm friendly solution:
Relocate the hornworms to a separate area by cutting off the leave they are attached to. Don’t leave them without a substitute host plant or you might as well have just killed them. You can plant sacrificial plants in another area or container to use as a host.
Depending on the coverage of these worms in the garden, letting them be on the host they already inhabit is an option. They will prune out some foliage (and yes, we know they can eat a lot and might be considered a crazy idea). Your plant can very well recover form damage. Also consider how much longer you will be getting production from your tomato plants. Is it the end of the growing season? Could we leave them to form a Sphinx moth for the benefit of the entire garden?
What about ideas for extermination? Here are some solutions for that, but still keeping an eco friendly mindset:
Pick them off! This is actually the simplest and most effective control. Bird, chickens, or other predators can use these as part of their meal.
As a last resort, spray BT (Bacilius thuringiensis). This naturally occurring bacterium only affects leaf eating worms or caterpillars. I always recommend this over other insecticides because of no Harvest Interval Time (or the amount of time you must wait to harvest produce from when it was sprayed with a product).
So what do I do?
First consider where you are in the season, what your purpose in the garden is, then choose the path of preservation or extermination!
Hornworms can do some damage, but they can do just as much good!
*Some information credited to Randy Lemmon Facebook Post