Anybody ever have tomato vine borees that bore holes into the tomato vine?
These are small brownish worms things that look sort of like pickle worms
except smaller and colored differently. Thay have infested at least two of
my tomato vines. Should I try BT ? I have not used it this year on the
tomatoes because there have not been any tomato worms. Thanks.

Pam Gibbs said:

Anybody ever have tomato vine borees that bore holes into the tomato vine?
These are small brownish worms things that look sort of like pickle worms
except smaller and colored differently. Thay have infested at least two of
my tomato vines. Should I try BT ? I have not used it this year on the
tomatoes because there have not been any tomato worms. Thanks.

Tomato fruitworm aka corn earworm. Bt should work, timed correctly.
That is, *before* the caterpillar has made its way into the fruit.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

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

Thank you!

I have applied BT now but I doubt it will help at this point..

These worms are in the vine--like squash vine borers. They are not eating
the leaves and they are not in the fruit. The have bored holes into the
vines and are tunnelling their way downward toward the ground. They are in
two of my creole tomato vines. I'm going to pull them up, bag them up,
and call my county agent tomorrow. I've never seen anything like this on
tomatoes before.



"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
Pam Gibbs said:

Anybody ever have tomato vine borees that bore holes into the tomato
vine?
These are small brownish worms things that look sort of like pickle worms
except smaller and colored differently. Thay have infested at least two
of
my tomato vines. Should I try BT ? I have not used it this year on the
tomatoes because there have not been any tomato worms. Thanks.

Tomato fruitworm aka corn earworm. Bt should work, timed correctly.
That is, *before* the caterpillar has made its way into the fruit.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

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

I have applied BT now but I doubt it will help at this point..

These worms are in the vine--like squash vine borers. They are not eating
the leaves and they are not in the fruit. The have bored holes into the
vines and are tunnelling their way downward toward the ground. They are in
two of my creole tomato vines. I'm going to pull them up, bag them up,
and call my county agent tomorrow. I've never seen anything like this on
tomatoes before.



"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
Pam Gibbs said:

Anybody ever have tomato vine borees that bore holes into the tomato
vine?
These are small brownish worms things that look sort of like pickle worms
except smaller and colored differently. Thay have infested at least two
of
my tomato vines. Should I try BT ? I have not used it this year on the
tomatoes because there have not been any tomato worms. Thanks.

Tomato fruitworm aka corn earworm. Bt should work, timed correctly.
That is, *before* the caterpillar has made its way into the fruit.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)
Pat, I thought I had encountered all the tomato pests there are, But tomato
vines borers never. Let us know what your extention agent finds. And don't let
those things leave the state!

Pam Gibbs said:

Thank you!

I have applied BT now but I doubt it will help at this point..

These worms are in the vine--like squash vine borers. They are not eating
the leaves and they are not in the fruit. The have bored holes into the
vines and are tunnelling their way downward toward the ground. They are in
two of my creole tomato vines. I'm going to pull them up, bag them up,
and call my county agent tomorrow. I've never seen anything like this on
tomatoes before.

Must have still been half asleep. Missed the word 'vine' and just got 'tomato.'

I think you have stalk borers. Not effectively controlled by insecticides. Usual
habitat is tall, grassy weeds but sometimes attacks potatoes, tomatoes and
other garden plants. More likely to attack grains and corn.

Try slitting (or cutting back) the wilting stems to expose and destroy the borers.


http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/p...alk_borer.html
http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fieldcrops/insects/stalk_borer/
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

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

Pam Gibbs said:

Thank you!

I have applied BT now but I doubt it will help at this point..

These worms are in the vine--like squash vine borers. They are not eating
the leaves and they are not in the fruit. The have bored holes into the
vines and are tunnelling their way downward toward the ground. They are in
two of my creole tomato vines. I'm going to pull them up, bag them up,
and call my county agent tomorrow. I've never seen anything like this on
tomatoes before.

Must have still been half asleep. Missed the word 'vine' and just got 'tomato.'

I think you have stalk borers. Not effectively controlled by insecticides. Usual
habitat is tall, grassy weeds but sometimes attacks potatoes, tomatoes and
other garden plants. More likely to attack grains and corn.

Try slitting (or cutting back) the wilting stems to expose and destroy the borers.


http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/p...alk_borer.html
http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fieldcrops/insects/stalk_borer/
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

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