I finally captured the ravenous bastards that have been decimating my sweet pepper plants

[Siwsan]

And safely relocated them, FAAARRRR away from my veg garden.

[Ohiogal]

1. Wow.

They are look like hungry critters!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Tomato hornworms, eww!

But they do turn into very pretty hawk moths.

[Siwsan]

5. The little farm market, where I shop, kept one in an aquarium, last year

Kept it well fed and safe. I'm not quite that dedicated, although I will go check on their new location, when I head out to mow.

[Kali]

3. NSFK warning please

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Tomato Worms.

Dust your plants as well as the earth around them. Nasty little buggers,they will eat all the leaves on a plant in 24 hours. Make sure you get the under sides of the leaves as best you can.

[Siwsan]

6. I've given up on the peppers

They never really recovered from the horrible Spring planting season. I'll get a few red and some ghost peppers, but that's it.

I've triple checked the tomato plants (most of which are ripening a good month behind schedule) and I don't see anything on them. Although since there won't be time for most of them to finish ripening, losing some really won't matter.

[True Blue American]

7. Also called Tobacco worms

But boy what they could do to a tomato

[Siwsan]

9. I found one, a few years ago, and it did gnaw through a lot of tomatoes

Ever since I've tried to be really careful about checking the plants. Just not careful enough, I guess!

[Wellstone ruled]

8. Make sure you

do dust your plants and the ground asap in order to control these buggers for next year. Buggers make a Cocoon just below the soil surface and next spring there will be new critters ready to forage on your peppers and tomato's.

Here you go,the product that we have the best results with is from Bonide,Diatomaceous Earth for crawling insects. Here in the desert,snails are a major issues with lawns as well as tomato worms on Tomatoes and Peppers as well as Basil.

[Siwsan]

10. I'm going to add that to my shopping list, for tomorrow. Thanks!

As soon as I finish mowing the back lot, I'm going to do ANOTHER search through the plants.

[Wellstone ruled]

12. You may have to find this Dust at the

Garden Store. ACE used to carry it years ago. These buggers borrow down about two to three inches in the soil. We have a pump duster and that will drive the dust powder under the the leaves.

[Siwsan]

16. Most of my garden is covered with landscaping fabric.

I cut holes for the plants. So, maybe that will help to limit any growing little bastards. I haven't had this problem for quite a while. I think I got complacent so it's time to step up my game.

[Wellstone ruled]

24. That is the down side of

sheathing and planting through the fabric. The dust will take care of that. Grubs and slugs/snails as well as Tomato worms love the Moisture on the back side of the fabric. We use various fabrics in our Gardens in the Mid West. The one we liked the best had a reflective face on one side,talk about Tomatoes and Peppers and peas and beans,the reflective sun light just made such a difference. It made the Dust that much more effective.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

18. Sounds like you're gonna have a mess of fried green tomatoes pretty soon.

Yum.

[Siwsan]

19. The Roma and Golden are just now taking on a 'hue'. The Roma more than the Golden

I've been picking Grape and Early Girl, for a couple of weeks, now.

If we get an elongated warm spell, I'm hoping to have enough to make some stewed tomatoes and maybe some pasta sauce. If not, then I'll be frying.

I'll tell you - between the horrible Spring weather dictating a late planting, and my injuries, this has been one disheartening growing season.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. It has been a weird year.

I'm a Master Gardener in Minnesota, and was at our answer booth at the state fair the other day - and heard multiple reports that tomatoes weren't ripe yet, or that flowers weren't blooming as they should be. One person was worried that there was something wrong with her still-green cherry tomatoes, but they're just way late because of our awful spring and regular downpours for most of the summer. There were also complaints about tomatoes splitting (too much water).

Some plants in my own garden haven't flowered yet and might now at all. No flowers on the ligularia, the joe-pye weed just started flowering last week, the goldenrod might bloom this week, and the apples are only about the size of golf balls and are still green.

Climate change, anybody?

[Siwsan]

23. For me, the only problem are the veg

My plum, apple, crabapple and pear trees are full and ripening. My flowers were abundant and beautiful, this year.

Our Spring was cold and very, very wet. Then things turned hot and very, very dry. I just mowed the lawns for the first time in over 3 weeks. Now the temps are dropping to the 70's/50's. It's just been beyond a weird Spring and Summer, that's for sure.

If Mother Nature will just give me a warm September, I might be able to salvage some of the tomatoes. I remember picking peppers, last October.

[Bayard]

11. They are really destructive

But I was told last year this is the caterpillar for Luna moths. Dunno. But my chickens love them.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. It's the caterpillar for hawk moths.

Luna moth caterpillars are also green, but they've got prickly hairs and red spots:

[Bayard]

14. Thanks!

[rampartc]

15. those are without doubt tomato hornworms

they will metamorphize into beautiful hawk moths, not quite as beautiful as the luna.

[Siwsan]

17. I relocated them to some milkweed, far from the veg garden

One is still there, munching away. The other has disappeared. Or, was spotted by a bird.

[Brother Buzz]

20. Tomato Hornworms have a ravenous appetite

[IcyPeas]

22. ugggggh

I found something like this in my broccoli when I was chopping it up about a month ago. and it was like it was wrapped up in a sticky white cocoon or web or something. ewwww ewwww ewwww

I haven't eaten broccoli since.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

25. Shudder!

[RGinNJ]

26. We had them in our garden when I was a child.

My father would put out a few pots filled with beer, the bugs go in for a drink and did not come back out alive.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

27. Up here in Whatcom County, Washington

In the very northwesternest tip of WA. With our damp climate and abundant rain, our biggest problem is SLUGS. Not snails. Snails live in shells. These slimy bastards look like funky okra . . . if it slithered.

I found them in my tulip, daffodil and hyacinth garden beds last year and nearly lost my mind. They were everywhere. Not small either. About 5" long. Not cute. U-G-L-Y. I tried putting down all kinds of things to deter them, natural (safe) and chemical (not so safe), taking every recommendation seriously. Nothing worked. Well almost nothing. Turns out they don't take well to good old fashioned table salt. So, I bought a large box of Morton's and went to town for a week. Oh, the carnage. But, guess what ? No more slugs.

[southerncrone]

28. Dust the earth around the plants w/diatomaceous earth when you plant them & occassionally after.

You can find it at nurseries, or online. Be sure to get the FOOD GRADE, tho. It is also used in pool filters and can be found at discount stores, BUT it is often NOT food grade. Don't get that! It is cheaper, but not safe. Be sure it states it is food grade on the label.

DE is good for a LOT of things! Investigate it!
Here's a gardening example, but it can be used for much more:

https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/disease-and-pests/diatomaceous-earth/

[smirkymonkey]

29. I always have this fantasy of having a garden, like we did when I was growing up.

But then I think of the insects, which I hate, and reconsider. Also, I live in a city, so there is really no place to plant, but I have a balcony on which I could grow a few things. I just really hate bugs.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

30. In defense of the lowly green cutworm.....

Minuscule - Love Apple
(Be sure to turn your sound up and if you're in a hurry, skip to 1:30-min.)

I love all the Minuscule clips - very relaxing for Sundays......

KY..........

[Callalily]

31. I'm really sorry about your pepper plants,

but you must admit, they are very cool looking "bugs".