Wednesday, June 30, 2010

attack of the hornworm caterpillars

during the night my tomato plant was eaten alive!
by TWO tomato hornworm caterpillars. YIKES! they're huge! 4" long!
i thought i might just pluck them off...but they've already eaten the tomatoes, stems, leaves...
i decided to just let them finish devouring...as there's no hope for the plant!
then again if i leave them...they'll just lay more eggs and they'll still be hanging around when i replace my tomato plants this weekend. i just can't seem to be able to pluck 'em and kill 'em....even though they're considered a pest. here's a picture of the adult hornworm moth (pic courtesy of UF).
 at least we had many tasty tomatoes!!  :]

6 comments:

  1. Ah... That's what you call those things!! What if you move them far away from your tomatoes... you think they'll find their way back?

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  2. HA! good idea...but from what i've been reading about them ALL THEY EAT is tomatoes and tobacco...so i think if i move them away...they'll inch (literally!) their way back! BUT i might just try that! thanks for stopping by!! :) laura

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  3. That is a very pretty moth , I had seen the worm but not the moth. peace

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  4. i think the moth tends to be a little nocturnal...

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  5. we can put them in old sweaters to feed them as moth's

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