How to Identify and Control Tomato Hornworms

You may have your heart set on a steady supply of homegrown tomatoes from your vegetable garden. Chances are, there's a common garden pest that's counting on the same thing. Tomato Hornworm can be a gardener's and tomato's worst enemy. But if you know what to look for and how to get rid of it, you can protect your gardening efforts and hopefully have a bounty of tomatoes to show for it.

Instructions

1. Look for a plump, pale-green caterpillar with white-and-black markings and fairly thick antennae. Pay close attention to leaf areas of a tomato plant as the hornworm often blends right in. The tomato hornworm also likes to feed on the leaves and new stems of a tomato plant. Watch out for a projection or spike on one of the last abdominal segments, which is where it gets the name "hornworm." In the moth stages, it is first a medium to large bodied moth with front wings. As it matures, it becomes a grayish-brown color with yellow spots on the side.

2. Hand-pick the insect from infested plants to provide safe and effective control. Remember, this is the only method to use once a tomato hornworm is in the larval stage. Let nature take its course. The larvae of the bracnoid wasp feeds inside the hornworm, eventually killing the caterpillar. Plant basil right next to your tomato plants. The herb repels the moth that lays the eggs of the tomato hornworm. Use an insecticide if all else fails to prevent the pest from completely destroying a plant.

3. Incorporate a bird bath into your garden and not just to enjoy a little bird watching. Birds are fond consumers of caterpillars and can naturally help rid your tomato pest problem. Watch and guard your plants carefully; a tomato hornworm can destroy a tomato plant overnight.