Just found a couple of big green caterpillars on my tomato plants. First time growing tomatoes, so I’m not sure—are these things harmful?
Flynn said:
Oh yeah, that’s the infamous tomato hornworm! It’ll chew through leaves and even the tomatoes themselves.
Not just one fruit either—it’ll take a big bite out of each tomato!
Flynn said:
Oh yeah, that’s the infamous tomato hornworm! It’ll chew through leaves and even the tomatoes themselves.
I haven’t had many around my garden, but when I do see them, they’re usually covered in wasp larvae. Nature has its own pest control, I guess!
Edit: downvote all you want, I’m just supporting the ecosystem!
@Fin
Just take them far, far away from your garden!
Clancy said:
@Tobin
Unless you see tiny white eggs on it. That means a parasitic wasp got to it, so it won’t be causing trouble for long.
Wait, those little white spots are wasp eggs? That’s wild!
@Kim
Not exactly. The eggs look like tiny grains of rice stuck all over it.
@Palmer
Seeing that just gave me shivers. Effective, but creepy!
@Tristan
Those aren’t eggs—they’re pupae. The larvae ate the hornworm from the inside, and then they pop out to pupate on its back.
@Tristan
Exactly. The stock photo shows the real pupae. In OP’s case, those dots are just part of its skin.
@Tobin
Look for their frass (poop). Find the droppings and look up—they’re usually right above it. No chickens here, so I just snip them in half.
Jamie said:
@Tobin
Look for their frass (poop). Find the droppings and look up—they’re usually right above it. No chickens here, so I just snip them in half.
That’s actually a pretty good way to track them down.
These guys can devour every leaf on a plant in a single night!
Keaton said:
These guys can devour every leaf on a plant in a single night!
Yes! Check bell pepper plants too, they leave little ‘grenade’ poops everywhere. That’s how I found them in my garden.
@Oak
Okay, I gotta admit, ‘grenade poop’ sounds kinda cool.
@Oak
You could even use their poop as fertilizer! It’s actually really good.
Keaton said:
These guys can devour every leaf on a plant in a single night!
I had entire plants stripped overnight by just one or two of these little monsters. They’re serious trouble.
Thanks everyone for the help! Found two of them today, so I’m gonna get rid of them right away. Appreciate the tips!
Kim said:
Thanks everyone for the help! Found two of them today, so I’m gonna get rid of them right away. Appreciate the tips!
Keep an eye out for a few days. New ones can hatch faster than you’d expect.
@Shiloh
They’re UV reactive, so if you’ve got a blacklight, go out at night and they’ll glow like crazy.
The real-life Very Hungry Caterpillar.