In article , Katra wrote:
Look, I know that pesticides are bad and work hard to develop my
biocontrol. Lizards, snakes, toads, spiders, assasin bugs and ladybird
beetles are all welcome in my garden and there are plenty of them.

Speaking of lizards, couple days ago I saw a type I'd not seen before
(SoCal desert) -- it was blue, looked like an iguana (big thick head
and body, not a skinny "snake with legs" like most of our little
desert lizards) and kinda spiny all over.

But when it comes to rapid destruction by critters such as hornworms,
there is a time and a place for pesticides and sevin is the most benign
of them!

Pyrethrins work just as well, break down very fast, and are harmless
to warmblooded creatures even if ingested. And try insecticidal soap
(essentially a mix of dish soap to choke bugs, and canola oil to make
it stick to stuff). Hornworms curl up and die right before your eyes.
Only had to spray the tomatos 2x last year, and they responded to the
soap by growing into 12 foot long vines with LOTS of fruit.

I try to hand pick them, but the little *******s are hard to spot!!!

Try listening for them. When they're disturbed, they make this odd
mechanical noise. Then you can hone in on the sound and get 'em.

And they do oh so much damage oh so quickly. :-(

Not much less than a maniac with an axe

~REZ~