Tomato horn worms

[jvnicholson]

I am getting eaten alive with tomato horn worms. I have tried spraying with liquid Sevin but I am afraid to add too much poison for fear of killing my fish. Any suggestions?

[GaryD]

Hi,

You can watch a video on how to deal with Hornworm......here (http://www.5min.com/Video/Tomato-Hornworm-Invasion-60035699). You'll have to bear with the ad......but the instructional video that follows has some useful information.

I don't know what "liquid sevin" is but I'd caution you against using any pesticide around an aquaponics system.

Since this pest is a caterpillar, you can control it by spraying Bacillus Thurengiensis........a naturally occurring bacillus that gives caterpillars a deadly stomach ache. I don't know what it's sold under in the US......but it is about the only thing I'll spray around my systems.

Gary

[jvnicholson]

Thank you very much! I will find some and use it.
JVN

[wolgie]

I constantly battle those guys in my raised bed. I just make a game of it and see how many I can pick off daily. That's one reason I am setting up my AP in the garage hopefully no pests will make it in.

Wolgie

[Gary in Texas]

2538

I am lucky. Our dog finds and brings them to us.

[Just Don]

If I do find them, will the fish eat them, and (assuming the answer is yes) is there any reason not to pick them off and just toss them in the FT as a... supplement?

[Pugo]

You may want to cut them up as they may be a little tough for the fish to just eat..

[jvnicholson]

I found the BT at Lowe's and made it up in a small spray bottle. I have used it and it works just great. Doesn't seem to bother the fish at all. I have also pulled some off the tomato plants and fed them to the fish. Didn't actually see them get eaten, but they disappeared.

[Pugo]

I will see if I can find "bacillus thuringiensis" here in Taiwan as I know they make this bio pesticide here.

Bt insecticides are most commonly used against some leaf- and needle-feeding caterpillars. Recently, strains have been produced that affect certain fly larvae, such as mosquitoes, and larvae of leaf beetles.