Tomato Worms!!!!

Coco'smommy · #1 06-28-2006, 01:01 PM

Green Horned Tomato worms are their proper name. I would call it a nasty, freaky, inbred Caterpillar thing that causes me to have extreme panic and paranoia.

I guess all the time I was growing up and enjoying those wonderful tomato's out of mom & dad's garden I had no idea that they were having to save their plants from these prehistoric looking creatures. I may have avoided planting tomato's had I remembered this little tid bit.

After spending the weekend at mom & dad's and going to the garden with my father, watching him pluck these things off his plants and step on them only to squirt a nice green liquid right out the end, I decided I better check mine when I got home. He informed me that if I did not remove them, they would kill the plants all together because they strip them bare of every leaf that they have given the chance. I kid you not, these things grow by the minute and they get as long as your middle finger and as big around as your thumb. They have this weird red horn thing that sticks up out of their butts and feet that clamp around the branch.

So I check Sunday evening, and to my most wonderful pleasure, there were none. Well...that changed last night, my daughter came running in the house with a complete look of horror on her face. She saw them, on MY tomatoes, happily munching away.

I think okay, be strong for her. I grab the pliers because I am NOT touching them with my bare hands and off we go. Well, off I go because she isn't stepping foot near the garden. I find them, several of them and brace myself. I am about to reach into tomato jungle and save my plants. One small problem, I couldn't do it. I tried and my arm would not go in there. I kept staring at them and increasingly getting sick to my stomach from pure fear. I just know in my mind they are going to jump off those plants and land on me and begin to happily munch away on me. I'm terrified and trying hard not to let it show. Then without warning, the tears come because I'm so freaked out and trying not to let my daughter see. I calmly walked back in the house and approached my husband. You have to get these off I say. He says now Hun, they aren't going to hurt you, just pick them off & step on them. I can't do it I say, I just can't. I tell him, your supposed to be my Knight in Shining Armour, get on the horse and help me!!!! So he picks them off one by one, there were 10 of them and I proceed to throw a rock on them and then step on the rock so they meet their demise.

As far as I know, the best method of extinction in the garden is to simply pluck & smash to get rid of them. I don't even want to go look tonight because I know there will be more there. I just want some nice red tomato's, why must I have these nasty things coming with them!

I'm usually not all weird about bugs & things like that but these worms just do me in.

TracyandSam · #2 06-28-2006, 01:12 PM

Oh dear....I'm so sorry about it all! They are the most disgusting creatures on this earth. I've got the chills and shivers just thinking about them. I've come across them all too many times and will never ever touch one.

sanford7 · #3 06-28-2006, 01:23 PM

I am laughing with you at this point... I absolutely HATE those yucky things!! They are so nasty!! And if you get their little horn in your finger it burns!! ((shiver)) They are absolutely disgusting!! Creepy and Yucky!! I hope you dont find many more on your plants and that they BEAR BEAUTIFUL big red juicey tomatoes for you!!! You have just reminded me of one more reason I havent done tomatoes in the past few years!

dharmadoodle · #4 06-28-2006, 01:41 PM

Ah! You guys should all watch the film 'James and the giant peach', then you might come to like all the creepy little crawlies that live in your gardens.

As much as I don't like bugs, I don't like to squish anything either. It always makes me feel really bad.

MyGirlHeidi · #5 06-28-2006, 02:07 PM

Oh Yuck! Couldn't you put some Seven Dust over the plants to keep them away? I have no idea and I'm sure if you could you or your Dad would have known that. I never have any luck with gardens so I didn't plant one this year. Next year I am going to give it another try. Good Luck! That was a funny story.

Coco'smommy · #6 06-28-2006, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyGirlHeidi

Oh Yuck! Couldn't you put some Seven Dust over the plants to keep them away?

I'm not sure - I plan to go to a nursery or something and ask if there is something available to help. sidhewlf mentioned there were things you could use so I am going to inquire.

x19er · #7 06-28-2006, 02:24 PM

Maybe you could pick them off and not squish them! A friend is the same with slugs - she hates them being killed so her DH collects them and rehomes them on his way to work in the morning - just a thought if you don't want to use chemicals in the garden.

cap032 · #8 06-28-2006, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyGirlHeidi

Oh Yuck! Couldn't you put some Seven Dust over the plants to keep them away? .

Yes you can definately use seven dust.

I would read the lable first because I belive you are supposed to wait like 10 days after dusting or spraying before you eat the fruit or vegetable. Farmers in the South have used Seven Dust or products like it for many many years.