How to Deter Caterpillars from Eating Tomato Plants?

[jamfas18]

A caterpillar keeps boring holes in my almost ripe tomatoes. They seem to leave the green ones alone. My two largest tomatoes which would have been my first harvested tomatoes ever, since this is my first garden were lost to predation.

Below I will provide a picture. Do you guys have any tips or suggestions on what I can do to save my tomatoes? Any lists of pesticides and or insecticides?

[img]http://i39.tinypic.com/v4ru41.jpg[/img]

[Kisal]

Looks like it might be an army worm. Rather than spraying, I recommend that you pick the critters off by hand. I just drop them on the ground and step on them, but some people prefer to drop them into a container of soap solution.

I really wouldn't want to spray anything on ripe, or even almost ripe, produce. JMO.

[jamfas18]

kisal thanks for the advice, the only problem is that i don't see any till it is too late and they have bored through my ripe tomatoes. So now my question shifts to... is there anyway i can prevent this from happening?

[Cuke]

Safer Brand has several organic sprays,but like Kisal said,be careful since they are close to harvest.But here's one spray for you: Safer Brand Tomato and Vegetable Insect Killer, RTU.There are several other organic sprays by Safer Brand too.

[The Helpful Gardener]

A[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosad]spinosad based pesticide[/url]is both safe and effective for army worm and other badguys ingesting the plants, but it is toxic to bees when still wet, so an evening application seems best...

Safer Brand Tomato and Vegetable Insect Killer, RTU is a pyrethrin/potassium of fatty acid combo, so not as discriminating in who it whacks, but I use both those products in my pesticide rotation (don't like to use the same thing twice if I can help it...)

HG

[jamfas18]

thanks guys ill look into it.