Ladybugs and green lacewings feast on eggs and young worms. Many insect predators attack tomato hornworms. In fact, they host so many tomato plant family pests that it's a good idea to pull them anywhere they appear in your yard. Adult hummingbird moths lay eggs on a variety of weeds in the tomato family, including horsenettle, jimsonweed, and nightshade. Preventing hornworms takes, ideally, a team effort between you and a host of beneficial insects and birds. If you see these, you're likely to find hornworms nearby-be sure to look especially carefully in the area right above the droppings. One of the best clues that a hornworm is present are the barrel-shaped droppings they leave scattered on leaves. They typically appear in late spring and summer. You'll recognize them by their giant size (up to 4 inches long) and the characteristic 'horn' on their rear end. They tend to hide during the day beneath leaves and emerge to feed at dusk, so that tends to be the easiest time to spot them. Hornworms can be hard to see initially because their color blends in well with green plant foliage. Full-grown hornworm caterpillars can devour an entire tomato plant in a day or two. When eggs hatch, the hornworms start eating.

They look first for tomato plants, but will also attack eggplants, peppers, and potatoes. What do hornworms do?Īdult moths lay eggs on host plants. They each feed on tomatoes and its plant relatives, including eggplants, peppers, and potatoes. The tomato hornworm has a black horn the tobacco hornworm has a red horn. There are a couple of types of hornworms. If you spy these whirring moths hanging in mid-air and sipping nectar from flowers in your garden (usually at dusk or later), you need to keep an eye out for hornworm caterpillars. Hornworm caterpillars are the larvae of the hummingbird (or sphinx) moth, which gets its name from its fast wing speed. But take heart: By following a few prevention tips and taking quick action when hornworms appear, you can keep them from ruining your precious plants. They can quickly decimate a tomato patch and will also eat a host of other garden veggies. These destructive pests can grow up to 4 inches long and have distinctive horns on their rear ends.

Hornworms: They look as unattractive as their name sounds. Photo credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University,

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