Gardening Methods

Help with bugs in my garden? (Tobacco Hornworms?)?

I have had the past couple of days major leaf damage to my tomatoe and pepper plants. I live in central ohio. I believe I have identified one of the culprits as a “Tobacco Hornworm” does anybody have ideas as to keeping them away from my plants?? Help!

The least toxic way to kill these caterpillars is to either pick them off, or spray your plants with Bacillus thuringensis, or BT (e.g., Dipel, Thuricide), considered very effective, especially on smaller larvae.
Rototilling… turning up the soil after harvest will destroy any pupae that may be there.
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/tomato.htm

If the hornworm has what looks like little grains of rice sticking up all over its back, just leave it be. Those are parasitic wasp eggs that will soon hatch and devour their host, and then go seek out more.

If You want chemical controls …Hornworms can be controlled with carbaryl, permethrin, spinosad insecticides
Good luck! Hope this helps.

The 2009 Central Ohio Home and Garden Show