-
Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.
Found a horn worm this morning!
- Thread starter southernfried
- Start date
I just had my first run in this morning. I noticed yesterday that the Black Pearls I have in a decorative pot had a bald spot. It was 107F or so out at the time so I took note for this morning. Took a look just now and found two big ole juicy hornworms. Found two more on a potted Black Congo. Have no signs of them in the inground plants. The pots are away from the rest of the garden. I have many types of wasps flying there so I'll move the buckets back. Wasps must be controlling the area pretty well!
Needlenose pliers, ant spray, and a long lighter......no more hornworms. They make a faint sizzling sound like a yard knome sized steak would.
Needlenose pliers, ant spray, and a long lighter......no more hornworms. They make a faint sizzling sound like a yard knome sized steak would.
They seem to love my Rocotos. Haven't touched the tomatoes, haven't touched any of the other peppers, but I'm picking off at least two every day from the Rocotos. 
Just last night I was looking out my sliding glass door and there was one sitting there looking back at me on top of my Rocoto. Needless to say, he's been neutralized.
Just last night I was looking out my sliding glass door and there was one sitting there looking back at me on top of my Rocoto. Needless to say, he's been neutralized.
I found one and only one under a leave on the very top of a plant, the only reason I noticed it is because it was loaded with white eggs on its back, I snipped off the leaf and put it in an area where the birds feed......he gone! Now my sister said the white eggs were wasp eggs and when hatched they would feed off the Horn Worm, and I could have left it. What do I need, MORE wasps flying around?
The white "eggs" are actually pupae of Braconid wasps which are parasitoids of the Hornworm. They already fed on the inside of the caterpillar. They would hatch out if left alone in a couple of weeks into tiny little non-stinging wasps which in turn would hunt for more hornworms to parasitize. The hornworm usually stops feeding and just hangs out after the wasp larvae exit its inside and pupate on its back (the little cacoons). It is a very slow starvation/dessication death for the hornworm!
Maybe its the weird-entomologist part of me, but I am probably the only one that allows a handful of hornworms to mature. I DO think they are neat, and I love watching the huge adult moths (Carolina Sphinx) take nectar from my petunias and Datura wrightii flowers after dark. I still end up destroying a handful or so A DAY! I don't recommend those who HATE hornworms to plant Datura wrightii (its natural host) near your peppers and tomatoes. I love the HUGE night blooming flowers, but they attract the adults from afar!
Maybe its the weird-entomologist part of me, but I am probably the only one that allows a handful of hornworms to mature. I DO think they are neat, and I love watching the huge adult moths (Carolina Sphinx) take nectar from my petunias and Datura wrightii flowers after dark. I still end up destroying a handful or so A DAY! I don't recommend those who HATE hornworms to plant Datura wrightii (its natural host) near your peppers and tomatoes. I love the HUGE night blooming flowers, but they attract the adults from afar!
A big tomato hornworm was a participant in one of the most epic insect battles i've ever seen.
I was in my yard one day by myself, standing around quietly when i heard a loud buzzing sound right next to me. I looked down to see a hornworm in a death battle with some sort of fat buzzing winged insect. I got down to get a closer look and turns out it was a fat bumblebee.
The two duked it out for around a minute, the hornworm would wrap around the bee, similar to a snake, but then would flail around, then wrap around it again. They were rolling all over the place.
The bumblebee eventually flew off but the hornworm sat there motionless. I couldn't tell if he was dead but i helped speed the process by stepping on it.
I declared the bumblebee the victor.
I was in my yard one day by myself, standing around quietly when i heard a loud buzzing sound right next to me. I looked down to see a hornworm in a death battle with some sort of fat buzzing winged insect. I got down to get a closer look and turns out it was a fat bumblebee.
The two duked it out for around a minute, the hornworm would wrap around the bee, similar to a snake, but then would flail around, then wrap around it again. They were rolling all over the place.
The bumblebee eventually flew off but the hornworm sat there motionless. I couldn't tell if he was dead but i helped speed the process by stepping on it.
I declared the bumblebee the victor.
