What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

Hi...I'm relatively new to vegetable gardening so please parden my
ignorance. My tomatoes are doing beautifully, except for one thing--some
sort of worm has decidend to eat through as many of them as possible. The
damage looks just like that for an apple hosting a worm guest.

Is there some sort of "typical" worm or similar pest that likes tomatoes?
If so, how do I deal with him/her?

Thanks!
Paul

What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

Paul Okami said:

Hi...I'm relatively new to vegetable gardening so please parden my
ignorance. My tomatoes are doing beautifully, except for one thing--some
sort of worm has decidend to eat through as many of them as possible. The
damage looks just like that for an apple hosting a worm guest.

Is there some sort of "typical" worm or similar pest that likes tomatoes?
If so, how do I deal with him/her?

Maybe the tomato fruitworm. Here's one webpage, with good pictures (from
New Zealand):

http://plant-protection.massey.ac.nz...le10/tomfw.htm

UC Davis weighs in with control information:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r783300111.html
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 19:28:41 -0700,
(dkra) wrote:

"Paul Okami" wrote:

snip

Is there some sort of "typical" worm or similar pest that likes tomatoes?
If so, how do I deal with him/her?

snip

Google "tomato hornworm" and you should find lots of information.

I've heard the best way to deal with the worms is to go out in the evening
with a flashlight and pick them off by hand, and squash them.

They're big, green worms with stripes.

Tomato hornworms eat foliage and possibly very small green fruit. I
think Pat may be closer in suggesting tomato fruitworm.

What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

You've got hornworms - they are virtually guaranteed to hit your tomato
plants at least once during the growing season. They are very common.
You'll see little crumbs that look like dark green coffee grinds on the
leaves. They are voracious and will devour your whole plant if given the
chance.

I usually go out and check all the branches and leaves first thing in the
morning to find them. They blend in along the undersides and ends of
branches - look very carefully and pick them off (wear gloves- they're fat
and mushy- ick!). They are usually bright green with little white thin
lines on their backs and a red horn on one end of their bodies. If you find
one with white looking eggs on its back, pick it off and relocate it - don't
kill it. Those white eggs are actually feeding on the hornworm and will
kill it. The eggs were put there by a parasitic wasp and they will hatch
new babies to take care of other hornworms in the future. To make sure you
get all the hornworms, you can also dust the plants with Bt Powder or Dipel
Dust (same thing). It's an organic biological powder that will target just
caterpillars and chewing larvae. You can also spray with a liquid form
called Thuricide (also Bt). I prefer to use the powder because it can be
seen on the leaves so I know I've applied it everywhere.

While it is organic and safe, it may harm other caterpillars, so I recommend
using it just when you see a problem and not on a regular basis. You should
see dead hornworms hanging from the branches within a couple of days. My
kids and I put hornworms in a mayonnaise jar (punch holes in the lid) with
some tomatoes leaves and green tomatoes and watch how much they will eat
overnight - it's astounding!

Good luck.

Penny
Zone 7b - North Carolina
"Paul Okami" wrote in message
news:yloQa.49352$OZ2.8834@rwcrnsc54...
Hi...I'm relatively new to vegetable gardening so please parden my
ignorance. My tomatoes are doing beautifully, except for one thing--some
sort of worm has decidend to eat through as many of them as possible. The
damage looks just like that for an apple hosting a worm guest.

Is there some sort of "typical" worm or similar pest that likes tomatoes?
If so, how do I deal with him/her?

Thanks!
Paul

What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

ewwww, I squashed one by accident one time. It felt, sounded and looked gross. :P lol

Lisa

"dkra" wrote in message ...
x-no-archive: yes

In article yloQa.49352$OZ2.8834@rwcrnsc54, "Paul Okami"
wrote:

snip

Is there some sort of "typical" worm or similar pest that likes tomatoes?
If so, how do I deal with him/her?

snip

Google "tomato hornworm" and you should find lots of information.

I've heard the best way to deal with the worms is to go out in the evening
with a flashlight and pick them off by hand, and squash them.

They're big, green worms with stripes.

-- dkra

--
dkraatmmiiidotixdotnetcomdotcom
[Subtract two thousand and (one plus two), plus the "." of course.]

What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

Hi...I'm relatively new to vegetable gardening so please parden my
ignorance. My tomatoes are doing beautifully, except for one thing--some
sort of worm has decidend to eat through as many of them as possible. The
damage looks just like that for an apple hosting a worm guest.

Is there some sort of "typical" worm or similar pest that likes tomatoes?
If so, how do I deal with him/her?

Thanks!
Paul

If they are drilling holes in the fruit and going inside you have the tomato
fruit worm. On corn its called the corn ear worm but it is the same critter.
Lots of controls but for worms I always start with BT (brand names DIPEL
Thuricide etc)

What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 14:42:46 GMT, "Penny Morgan"
wrote:

You've got hornworms - they are virtually guaranteed to hit your tomato
plants at least once during the growing season.....
------
Very good post, Penny!
I'm saving this one to my gardening notes file.
Thanks!

---pete---

What's eating my beautiful tomatoes?
 

THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR HELP!!!

Paul