Tomato Hornworms

[GardenStream]

I saw one a few days ago. Then, today I noticed that the tops of a few more tomatoes were being devoured. I found 7 or 8 hornworms again today. Every one of them was covered in the parasitic wasp egg sacs. I pulled them off, put them into a large yogurt container, and tossed in a few tomato leaves and set that down in the middle of the garden.

I read somewhere not to kill the ones with egg sacs on them and to leave them in a nice central spot where they couldn't feast on the tomato plants themselves.

So, are all my tomatoes done for? I have about 30 plants and 4 or 5 have between 25% to 75% of the leaves gone. I've never dealt with these nasty creatures before. Help

[PiesandAbrosmama]

So what you need to know is this. Good about the eggs, those guys are going to eat the horn worms. Not sure if your done for I found my first one of the season yesterday and i killed it, just keep looking, and I also spray a soapy water mix on the plant! Hope that helps.

[kingschild]

When I finally found hornworms with wasp eggs on their bodies on my tomato plants, it was the end of the damage for me. Although I left the hornworms on the plants, they no longer moved or ate.

I hope its the end of your trouble, too. Picking them off before that point was no fun!