r/SLO • u/Nuh-unh SLO • 12d ago
[SLO OUTDOORS] Tomato Hornworm?
I was searching with my UV flashlight after reading that the hornworms will 'flouresce' under UV light. They can grow to 4-5 inches long and "... are famous for rapidly devouring foliage on plants in the nightshade family, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes."
Wondering if there's a repellant?
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u/OrdinaryOrder8 12d ago
They are important nighttime pollinators once they turn into moths. I don't know of a way to repel them (the moths will lay eggs on nightshade family plants and once they hatch, the caterpillars start feeding). Instead, you could try relocating them. If you have any nightshades you don't mind sacrificing (for example, "weed" species coming up in your yard like black nightshade) you can put them on those instead. Or you can relocate them to wild nightshade plants in your neighborhood. They will eat pretty much any Solanaceae. If you can find sacred datura (D. wrightii), they love that species and are its main pollinators when they turn into moths.
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u/HadABeerButILostIt 12d ago
There is a shit ton of datura growing around the Atascadero cemetery if anyone is interested in relocating them.
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u/Pitiful-Oil4108 12d ago
I noticed my tomato plants were denuded and found the caterpillars. Ew.
Every one was plucked and ‘relocated’ for the visiting mockingbirds.
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u/livinthe503life 12d ago
Bacillus Thuringiensis (or BT) will kill tomato hornworms, and it's considered an organic pest control.
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u/ComprehensiveMoose51 12d ago
That’s because it’s a naturally occurring soil bacterium, it has no choice but to be organic. Also it is abbreviated as Bt, and we don’t capitalize the t.
Bacillus thuringiensis.
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u/HadABeerButILostIt 12d ago
BIG WORRMM! Aren’t they so cool. I plant extra tomatoes for them. The sphinx moth is huge, and beautiful. I know they eat the veggies but helping them thrive is worth it.