Tomato Hornworms in My Container Garden
September 5, 2010 by The Gardener
Filed under Videos
I’m pretty new to gardening and this is the one thing that I struggle with most…having to deal with bugs. I hate them. These, in particular, make my skin crawl.
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I spot em from like 50 feet away just look for poop that looks like little black pellets around your tomato plants and you’ll know they’re their
bad bug! bad bug.. LOL wow. terrible
Try planting a marigold flower in each container. Somehow hornworms hate them.
birdfeeder + birdseed = $30.00
scissors = $2.00
lol
you had the right idea. scissors are the best way to deal with hornworms, if you’re skittish. you can cut them in half with one snip. then stand back and watch the yellow jackets swoop in and gather up the green goo and carry it back to their nest. in nature, nothing goes to waste.
yuk you have some crazy insects there
Ugh, thanks for posting this I just found mine the same way this AM.
I was searching around the internet and they say if you put a bird feeder out near your plants the birds will do a pretty good job eating these. I’m going to try it. Hopefully it’s not too late!
Im wondering if u could just put some fine mesh netting over the plants cuz that worm comes from a moth that lays eggs on the plant the hatch into larvae..just not sure if those flowers have to pollinate or not.
Also u just grab them in the middle, they dont bite just look ferocious, lol throw him down and step on him…my dad made us kids do that all summer lol
Hornworms are nocturnal, u can go out w/a flashlight and catch those little suckers before he eats the whole plant..also i would add chili peppers and habenero peppers & garlic to that soap/water spray and use it on all ur plants as the dont like smell of garlic or taste of the hot stuff. One worm can kill a whole tomato plant in a matter of hours!
grow them upside down less bugs
You can’t imagine how HUGE they look till you see one up close!
The most disgusting thing I’ve come across in the garden so far…
I will try this! Thank you!! There’s already so many bugs around here…I know this will be a problem this year.
Oh yeah and those worms gave me horrible goosebumpb thru this whole video eeekkk
So I’ve watched ur container vids and I must say that I became motivated last night to work harder on making sure my seedlings in the house survive! It’s still cold in NYC so we havent moved anything to the ground yet. Dont have Hornworms but slugs, snails, aphids, squirrels & birds r here. Try to use tea & coffee to keep the bugs away & good for the soil at the same time! Buckets of beer kill the slugs. Try spraying a mist of cayenne pepper, dish soap & water on tomatoes. GOOD LUCK!
just dip them in flour, fry them up, taste just like cheese stick and get dipping. forest dwellers have been doing it for yrs.lol
i have those right now. i’ve had them before but how to you get rid of them. we just killed like 10 of them we found on our plants!
You are so welcome! Keep up the good progress!
Thank you, Melissa! And thanks for the little tidbit about the predatory wasps. I’m trying to come to terms with bugs…and looking at wasps in a positive light.
I’m making progress!
I love this!… and if you find one of those worms with little white eggs on his back, leave him there! They are predatory wasps that will use him as their host after hatching on his back… and more predatory wasps will be in your garden~ to attack those hornworms next year! Great video! i subbed to ya.. Blessings in the Garden! Melissa
Thanks for your kind comment! Wish I had some chickens! Yes, I plan to make videos of my new garden. I’m moving soon and am hoping to start veggies for fall.
Hey greentxmama, I think your hornworms moved to my garden. I’ve been out the last 4 mornings picking them off. but atleast I stopped any major damage before it was too late
I don’t have hornworms but I’d just pick them off with my fingers and toss them to the chickens. Free snacks!!
Oh btw I totally LOVE your gardening creativity.
I sure hope you make videos next year of your new garden at your new home. 
Hornworms can really do alot of damage. I only had one last year. Caught it just in time, before it ate to much.
Funny that you say that because I was getting ready to clear off my patio to put most of the pots there. I’m moving this month and I don’t know if the tomato plants in the barrels are going to make the move. I may just cut the plants down and use the barrels for fall plants when I get to the new place. Thanks for the suggestion about bucket of soapy water…I may try that next time. All the guts spilled over the plants and dryed into black tar-like stuff. Yuk. Thanks for your comment!