A week ago, while trimming the leaves on my cherry tomato plant, I found myself face-to-face with a tomato horn worm! I did not expect this to happen, since I sprayed my tomato plants with bacillus thuringiensis (BT) the month before. If you have never seen this creature, you are in for an unforgettable experience! It is a massive green worm, with a diameter of one's baby finger, 3-4 inches in length, with decorative stripes and spots, and a face only a mother could love...
After letting out a screaming holler, Peter, a fellow gardener, came to my rescue, pick off the pest, and dropped it into a bag, then ended its life. I resumed trimming my plant, and thought I saw another worm. Peter came back to help, but I was so shaken that I lost sight of the invader. I mixed up a batch of BT and sprayed all of my tomato plants until they were dripping in solution. This week, I triumphed as I found two dead horn worms on the ground beneath my tomato plant!
Here are some "good reads" so that you can be prepared should one day you encounter this worm beast!
Identify and Control the Tomato Horn Worm
Bacillus Thuringiensis
