On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:10:10 -0600, "Suzanne D."
wrote:

I just found two of my tomato plants nibbled down quite a bit. I suspect
tomato worms. We had these two years ago, but didn't seem to have a problem
last year.

Trouble is, our vines are up to nine feet tall, and bushy as all get out. I
have searched in them for quite a while (and offered the kids a dollar for
each worm found!), and can't seem to spot any. I am pretty sure they are
there, but they are eluding me.

Is there some way to make it easier to find tomato worms? Do they jitter if
your spray them, or glow under a black light, or turn color when you heat
them, or ANYTHING that would make it a little easier to find them? (I am
suspecting that the answer is NO, but maybe there's someone with some freak
tip out there who can help!)
--S.


You can search leaves for droppings, which are black and abundant if
the worms are there. Then just start looking up above the leaves
where the droppings are.

They are wonderfully camouflaged, but I have my best hunting in the
morning.

Of course, it might be something else, too. Do you get Japanese
beetles in your area?

Boron