This year my tomatoes were eaten by hornworms. I identified mine kind
as actually tobacco hornworms. They look very similar, and act the
same. They strip vegetation QUICKLY and entire portions of leaf and
blossom would be gone, leaving only bare vine stem. I think
handpicking is not too effective because they are very well
camouflaged in the vegetation. I can find the large ones because they
get very big (almost as big as my thumb), and are sometimes still
close to the damaged area. But they do move on and may not still be in
the area. I picked off a whole water bottle full of them. Sometimes I
could find them because of their feces on a leaf are easy to see and
then look above to locate them.

But it didn't work because I couldn't find all the small ones (they
start off tiny). I handpicked worms and then in one or two days the
little ones gorged themselves on leaves and blossoms until they were
big enough to see. My plants were not going to survive at this rate.

I bought some BT and sprayed the plants under and above the leaves.
All the worms have to do is eat one mouthful of the bacteria and it
shuts down their gut. They quit eating immediately and a few days
later died. I could see them once they turned black. It only took one
spray to kill them all and they have not come back.

BT is a bacteria that kills only caterpillars that ingest it. It
doesn't kill beetles like ladybugs or spiders or pets. And I think it
doesn't hurt me, although I did wash the fruit that was already set.

The only problem is that a pint for $12 was the smallest amount I
could purchase and it only took 2 tablespoons of the concentrate to
make enough to spray all my plants. Anyone need an almost full bottle
of BT?




On 12 Aug 2006 18:44:45 -0700, "cathych"
wrote:

Every year I am beseiged by tomato hornworms. This year I faithfully
used diamotateous earth, thinking that of course, this would eradicate
the problem. Well, several days ago, my cherry tomatoes, my peppers,
(all different kinds), as well as my larger tomatoes were full of
blooms, really loving the hot rainy weather. Today I went out & checked
for any developing cucumbers, & guess what? All of the blooms had been
EATEN entirely, there is not a single one of them left. How can I get
rid of these things once & for all? I have been changing out my potting
soil entirely each growing season, thinking that this might have been
the problem, but apparently they are living somewhere.