Homestead Picture of the Week, August 28th: Tomato Hornworm

These little guys can really do some damage to your garden if you let them use it as their personal buffet. I started suspecting that I had one hiding away in my pepper plants when the leaves began disappearing. I kept checking, but found nothing for several days. They blend in well, and I bet he was just a little guy at the time.

You can see from the above picture how these critters eat all the leaves right down to the stem leaving you with a nubby plant. From what I have seen in 2 seasons of having these guests in my garden, they leave the flowers and fruit alone. They are gourmet leaf eaters. Fortunately, my plants have gone on to replace their leaves and produce after a feast.

Tomato Hornworm Droppings

I knew for sure that I was looking for a Tomato Hornworm when I found their droppings at the base of the pepper plants. You can see a few greenish brown pellets in the center of the above picture.

Even though some of these pests have dessimated my pepper and tomato crops, I still can’t bring myself to kill them. The idea of squishing such a large caterpillar also grosses me out. I just pluck the worm off the plant and throw them over the fence. Tomato Hornworms will eventually turn into a type of nocturnal moth. I have also kept some as pets for my son. He thinks they are super cool. Donating them to a school science class has also crossed my mind.

Now that I have found a couple in my peppers, I will routinely check for more Tomato Hornworms. One season I found 15 in my pepper patch at one time!