We found a huge horn worm!

[Tinybu88les8]

eewwwww....I didnt think my garden had those....but I was wrong. Follow the poop trail and look under the leaves! Disgusting lil suckers they are. Ew!

[Diane]

They are large and scary looking. I found another one today. Both have been on one of my Sweet 100's.

[gixxerific]

Probably a tobacco hornworm with slanted lines on it like the one in my avatar. They are some bad mama jamma's. Keep an eye out for more. I have only seen the one so far.

But slugs all over the place here. Found 2 in my neighbors garage this morning one was salted the other throw in the driveway for bird food.

[Diane]

Yes, just like your avatar.
I found a few small green ones weeks ago and now two large ones.
I just happened to notice leaves missing.
Since we haven't had much rain I haven't seen many slugs or their damage. Crossing my fingers.

[gixxerific]

They are ravenous The jalepno in the following picture was good one day but the next....

[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/DSC02581.jpg[/img]

.....not so good.

There wasn't a single leaf left and that pepper he's munching on was the last one standing, or should I say hanging.

[rootsy]

Pulled 30 or 40 off of the tomatoes earlier this year... Chickens feast on them... Watching gives me some kind of sick pleasure.

[JONA878]

You had me confused there folks.
Where does the name horned ' worm' come from.
Over here we would call that a caterpiller of the hawk moth family.

Is ' worm ' a term you would use for any caterpiller?

Jona,

[Tinybu88les8]

whats the best way to get them off the plant? I cant touch them...freaks me out!

[applestar]

Can't you even pick them off wearing gloves? Kitchen gloves? They do hang on pretty tightly if you try to pulle them off, but, most caterpillars, if you poke at them, will curl into a ball and drop off the plant. Be ready with a cup/bucket/container and poke at it with any gardening implement you have handy or a stick. That should work.

Jona, the "horn" in this case, is the tail-end that sticks out. I guess it IS true that a lot of garden pest caterpillars are called "worms" -- corn earworm and cabbage worm are other examples. Then again, "wormy" apples actually have apple maggot fly maggots, plum curculio grubs, or coddling moth or other caterpillars in them, right?

[smokensqueal]

Found my first horned worm (caterpillar) tonight. I thought something was eating my pepper plant but couldn't find anything last night. Tonight the plant looked even worse. But I found him and smashed him. I feel so good now.

[gixxerific]

whats the best way to get them off the plant? I cant touch them...freaks me out!

Applestar brought up a good point. Another method that may work is if it might be on a stem that could be taken off do that. the plant at this point is more than likely in peril. So ripping off one more stem can't hurt too much can it.

Or possibly a flame thrower.

[Diane]

Tiny, I always have my cutters with me when I check my plants. So I chop them in half, just like the slugs.
I will also, like Dono said, cut off the end of a stem with the worm on it if I can and toss it in the trash.

[rootsy]

grab em behind the head and peel em off the stem. They hang on tight. Then just whip em at the ground and watch them explode... done...

they are squirmy little things and they will poop and puke on you if given the chance.

I collect em in a cup... feed em to the chickens... good protein.

[miamigardener]

I hate bugs and creepy crawlies, I'm hoping that becoming a gardener will get over my fear. I love the fact that you guys feed the big caterpillers that eat your plants to the chickens, and even get pleasure out of it! LOL! I would too, I wish I had a chicken or two around here. Haha!

[Diane]

Miami, I hate/fear bugs so much that it surprises people who know me that I garden. That's why I walk around my garden with my cutters. I run at times too.
The way I see it is, they stay where they are and I stay where I am.

[petalfuzz]

whats the best way to get them off the plant? I cant touch them...freaks me out!

Use tongs! When I saw my first one, I was so freaked out that I used tongs to throw it under a bush. Then I couldn't squish it so I sprayed it with spray starch (like for ironing with). It died almost instantly. Blech!

[gixxerific]

whats the best way to get them off the plant? I cant touch them...freaks me out!

Use tongs! When I saw my first one, I was so freaked out that I used tongs to throw it under a bush. Then I couldn't squish it so I sprayed it with spray starch (like for ironing with). It died almost instantly. Blech!

I hope it was organic spray starch!

[Tinybu88les8]

I almost feel bad killing something of that size...lol I dunno. I'm weak like that. But horn worm...veggies...horn worm....veggies. easy debate.