# Something is getting in my Tomatos :(



## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

Ive been finding my Tomatos half ate, either hanging on the Vine or on the ground. Never see any tracks, but this time I found *POOP* even inside my Plants and then on the ground. Now whatever it is I am asuming its a Bird because its on the top plant and bottom. The Garden is fenced it,so no Rabbits, or any other big animals can get in.

I am not sure what to do here, I never seen a *poop* like this I am stunned as to what is getting my tomatos.. Someon told me its a Bat!!!

I know we got bats,,, here but would they get in my tomatos??? 
I took pics,,, but I dont know how to post them here Arhg !


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2713708550057992193GDOoZl
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2870924900057992193thqDlk
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2225605910057992193khzKvn




If this doesnt work,,, arhg !! I give up


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## doublell (Feb 8, 2007)

are you also missing whole sets of leaves off a branch? I don't remember the offical name but there is a very large tomato worm that is as ugly as sin, blends in so well you have to really look for it and it will take out parts of a tomato like in your pics. they are green and blend if perfectly. truly UGLY:yikes:


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## mikieday (Jan 20, 2004)

aliens...they are hovering over the plants and beaming themselves down. 

never saw anything like that...bird poop is alot different looking..maybe a bat

tomato worm maybe...they are green with a big hooked horn on their hind end


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

UHG A BIG WORM !!!!!!!! HOW BIG!!!!! ewwwwww I was just going thru the plants,, OH GOD that thing could have crawld on me !EWWW


What does this thing look like ? 

No branched down,, or ate up.. just likes tomatos.


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## doublell (Feb 8, 2007)

Firecracker said:


> UHG A BIG WORM !!!!!!!! HOW BIG!!!!! ewwwwww I was just going thru the plants,, OH GOD that thing could have crawld on me !EWWW
> 
> 
> What does this thing look like ?
> ...


Like another poster said big hooked horn on tail end. they will be green the exact same color of the tomato plant i have seen them 3-4 inches long and FAT they normally strip the leaves off a branch as well as taking apiece out of the tomatoes they don't eat the whole thing just enough to ruin it.


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

ewwwwww...... nasty! How do you get rid of them... please dont tell me I have to remove it,, I would pass out ... just thinking about it. EW *GAG*


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## doublell (Feb 8, 2007)

sorry I always just picked them off and put them in a can. I am sure there are some dusts you can put on the plants but I never liked to put poison on the tomatos. Pick them off is immediate and final.


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

had the boys out there, told them I pay them,,, they found 3 so far they are totally disgusting ! I have never seen them before... and I KNOW I was out there with one of them looking right at me ,, !!! ARJHG!

Dont know how many there should be lol.. they said they going back out in the Morning and checking them out again... 
Thanx all, I dont want to poisen anything either that really kills the idea of having a natrual garden .. why grow them ya know ..

are they good fishing? Boys want to take them fishing


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## kbkrause (Feb 12, 2002)

Was it one of these?


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

yeah they look like it ,,,,,, but we got like 3 of them already..they going for tomorrow,,,, now its like a hunt for them * of course me paying helps*


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## mikieday (Jan 20, 2004)

swweet pic that is them...lol, put em in a jar and they will make a cacoon that looks like a fuzzy wad of athletic tape and in the spring a big moth will pop out...when we were kids we lived for these things.

mikie


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

Firecracker said:


> are they good fishing? Boys want to take them fishing


I don't know but I can tell you when my father found them on his plants, he picked them off and threw them in the farm pond and the various fish seemed to enjoy them (bluegills esp). I don't know if the bass took any.


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## hitechman (Feb 25, 2002)

Description: The larval stage of this insect is a 3 1/2 to 4 inch long pale green caterpillar with 5 pairs of prolegs and a "horn" on the last segment. The two most common hornworms are the tobacco hornworm (7 diagonal white stripes and, most commonly, a red horn) and the tomato hornworm ("V" shaped markings with a horn that is often black). The adult of the tobacco Hornworm is the Sphinx moth. The Five-spotted Hawk Moth is the adult of the tomato hornworm. Both moths are stout-bodied, grayish-colored insects with a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches. 

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/hornworm.htm

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Pests/tomato.htm

adult sphynx or hawk moth pictures (they almost look like humming birds when feeding on flower nectar at dusk) http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/vegpest/hornworm.htm

Steve


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## Overdew (Sep 7, 2004)

Get the kids to catch a bunch then fry them in garlic and butter, taste like fried green tomatos. :lol:


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## PWood (Aug 6, 2004)

I've only heard this but never tried it. Take one or two of the tomato worms, put them in a blender with some water and blend thoroughly. Pour or spray the mix around the base of your tomato plants and the tomato worms will stay away.
Sounds a little gross but supposed to work.


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

EWWww,, eat them ok youre just gross now !


blender? ewww no way this thing is going in my good blender ,, it will go in the cheap one,,,lol

if this is also a Joke,,, please tell me before I try to do this ...


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## doublell (Feb 8, 2007)

hitechman said:


> Description: The larval stage of this insect is a 3 1/2 to 4 inch long pale green caterpillar with 5 pairs of prolegs and a "horn" on the last segment. The two most common hornworms are the tobacco hornworm (7 diagonal white stripes and, most commonly, a red horn) and the tomato hornworm ("V" shaped markings with a horn that is often black). The adult of the tobacco Hornworm is the Sphinx moth. The Five-spotted Hawk Moth is the adult of the tomato hornworm. Both moths are stout-bodied, grayish-colored insects with a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches.
> 
> http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/hornworm.htm
> 
> ...


Thanks Steve I had forgotten about the moth stage in this tomato worms life cycle. I found that out when I didn't have a "normal" garden but raised a number of tomato plants on a deck which was three stories up and wondered "how in the hell did that worm get up here" answer it flew:yikes:


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

still gross, and I never had problems with anything like this..

how do you get these things? were they in the plant when I bought them?


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## hitechman (Feb 25, 2002)

a female adult sphynx moth smelled those luscous plants and decided to lay some eggs. The eggs hatched and the larva (caterpillars) had a feast. The will pupate (make a caccoon) after burrowing 2-3 inches into the soil. They will hatch next Summer and the cycle will start all over again.

Read about the life cycle of this critter in one of the links I provided in a previous post.

Steve


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

I did ,,, missed that part. Sorry.... 

Ive never had this problem, so I am just stunned how they got there lol.


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## Bachflock (Jul 3, 2007)

You got yourself a bad case of tomato hornworm! I recognize that POOP anywhere. I worked for a grad student when I attended Michigan State Univ. The professor she was doing work for was doing a study on tomato horn worms. It was my job to feed and clean up after the critters. The poop was exactly like that shot on the leave - almost designer like. The shape was the same almost all the time. I'm willing to bet a lot on it. Some of those buggers, now they were on a special diet mind you, would easily get 6" long - sometimes longer, and as big around as a sizable man's thumb. HUGE!


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

They have taken over... no matter how many the boys pulled off.... its a loosing battle..  

leaves are pretty much gone and plants are not looking good at all


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## outdoor junkie (Sep 16, 2003)

Have your boys put them in a jar and put a bit of your tomato plant in there so they can eat for the rest of the summer. And when they hatch out next spring, they are one of the big hawk moths(very cool).


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## SpareTime (Feb 2, 2003)

my wife found one on one of our plants last night.....very strange looking though....it had little white balls hanging all over his back.....what's up with that??


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

BT kills them.

BT is a Bacteria that is safe for humans but is death for soft bodied catepillar type bugs. It won't kill the pollinators but will take care of these guys. this is an organic method that does not add toxins to your garden. Also there is a parasitic wasp that also will kill these horn worms. If you find one that has a bunch of white rice like eggs on it, leave that one be. The wasps eggs will hatch soon and the larva from the wasp will consume the hornworm and more of these wasps will help you in ridding your tomato patch of these pests. These are not the kind of wasps that will sting you so you don't have to worry about them.

Dave


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

SpareTime said:


> my wife found one on one of our plants last night.....very strange looking though....it had little white balls hanging all over his back.....what's up with that??


 
Eggs from a parasitic wasp. They will hatch and the larva will kill the horn worm. Leave that one alone and nature will take care of it for you.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I don't have these, but wouldn't Sevin Dust (played at very high volume) work?


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