I've taken to relocating my tomato hornworms

[Taiji]

This year there is an abundance of tomato hornworms. I think it's because we have had an especially great rainy season. At first, I would just step on them but it's gets kinda old and I'm getting more softhearted as I get older I guess.

When I was younger and lived at home in Michigan on our small farm we would relocate the hornworms into the chicken yard. They would make short work of them I tell ya!

Luckily here in this area, we have a native plant called Sacred Datura; aka Jimson Weed. They have a big flower that you can hardly tell from an Easter lily. I noticed the same worm is on those plants too by accident the other day. Probably because Jimson weed and tomatoes are both nightshades. (altho I never see them on peppers or potatoes) So, I've just been moving hornworms to their new home on Jimson weeds here and there around the property. Maybe I'll regret this, I don't know, next year there will probably be 10 times as many worms.

The moths they come from are so beautiful tho!

[rainbowgardener]

The hornworms do hatch out into beautiful moths!

[Taiji]

They are beautiful. I saw one in the garden in early summer messing around on the corn silk. So I'm not surprised to see lots of hornworms in there! Sometimes when I'm turning the soil I find pupae waiting to hatch. I just leave them alone. There's plenty for everyone!

[applestar]

Its a bit of a trade-off isn't it? When I have lots of night-blooming flowers and gourds growing, I get more hornworms, too.

Mostly I leave the fate/outcome for the hornworms to the Garden Patrol. I saw another wasp pupae covered one on the massive Raymondo's Australian Mist tomato vines which are now trying to climb my Chicago Hardy fig that has doubled in size since last year.

[imafan26]

So that is the moth that the hornworms turn into. Luckily, I don't get a lot of hawk moths, although my butterfly weed may bring them in. I have been seeing a few of the cabbage worms on my broccoli, but the garden patrol is taking care of most of that. I have to keep cutting the butterfly bush to keep it from blooming. It smells great, but I don't want to attract butterflies to the vegetables.