# Invisible varmits eating my tomato plants



## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

Well, I guess they're not really invisible, but I never see them. 

What kind of critter will eat tomato plants? I just planted them in the garden and each morning another one has been chewed on. I can't see any kind of tracks and there are never any leaves laying on the ground so I know they've been eaten. Sometimes they eat all the leaves and leave just a stem, other times they only eat a few leaves and leave the plant with some hope for survival.

I put in 27 plants and so far they've eaten 9 of them in three days. I have to figure out what's eating them and do something quick!


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

We have had problems with birds eating some or all of the leaves. Sometimes the leaves are just clipped off, and we find a bare stem and some of the leaves laying around the stem. Didn't know what it was for years until I saw a bird actually doing it. It was a red-winged blackbird. Have also seen robins doing it. We put tomato cages on our plants as soon as we plant them, and then we can cover them all with bird netting for the first week or so, until they grow a bit and the birds get over nibbling on them. This year we just covered them with plastic jugs due to chance of frost, and only lost a couple of pepper plants when they were uncovered. The birds only seem to bother peppers and tomatoes, and usually don't bother the neighbor's plants.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i had a few toms get clipped by birds this spring...like every year dadgumit.


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## Watcher48 (Aug 30, 2007)

Spray them with a weak hot pepper spray


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

WisJim said:


> We have had problems with birds eating some or all of the leaves. Sometimes the leaves are just clipped off, and we find a bare stem and some of the leaves laying around the stem. Didn't know what it was for years until I saw a bird actually doing it. It was a red-winged blackbird. Have also seen robins doing it. We put tomato cages on our plants as soon as we plant them, and then we can cover them all with bird netting for the first week or so, until they grow a bit and the birds get over nibbling on them. This year we just covered them with plastic jugs due to chance of frost, and only lost a couple of pepper plants when they were uncovered. The birds only seem to bother peppers and tomatoes, and usually don't bother the neighbor's plants.


Well...I think you might have just solved my problem! The first two pepper plants I put in got chewed up too but nothing else in the garden has been touched! We have robins and redwing blackbirds so I bet you a dollar that's what it is!!

I couldn't figure it out because there were never any tracks in the soil. What a relief knowing what it is. Guess I have to get some cages and netting up soon. Thanks for the great advice!


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

The tomato horn worm blends in SOOOO good with the foliage etc. that you can barely see them - you REALLY have to look close. They are BIG and fat and can eat a tomato plant faster than you can say "OUCH!" Google them to see what they look like and then go look VERY closely - there are usually MORE than one on a plant!!!


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## princetonbc (May 28, 2008)

This has been happening to my pepper plants but only my pepper plants. I netted them off tonight but they have done a lot of damage. I am thinking about getting a plastic owl.


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

COSunflower said:


> The tomato horn worm blends in SOOOO good with the foliage etc. that you can barely see them - you REALLY have to look close. They are BIG and fat and can eat a tomato plant faster than you can say "OUCH!" Google them to see what they look like and then go look VERY closely - there are usually MORE than one on a plant!!!


got plenty of these- so cute and I want to see what the _butterfly_ looks like but don't have enough tomato leaves to keep them alive!


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## Irish farmer (Dec 21, 2007)

Tomato horn worms are faster than you would think.


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## jimarh (Feb 21, 2005)

looks strange all over our garden but we put aluminum pie plates hanging on sticks that blow in the wind and scare off rabbits, deer and birds. I also plant marigolds throughout my tomatoes since 'they' say that rabbits don't like the smell of marigolds.....(I dont either).


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Birds don't usually bother my plants but those DANG tomato hornworms are so hard to spray & can strip a big tomato plant in no time. I hate to use more than I have to but I now spray my tomatoes when they start getting any size to them & again about once a month with BT(can tell you the long name if you need it) & haven't had one of those ugly grose things in 3 years now!


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

I find the hornworms by looking for their poo - big black square clumps of poo is much more noticable than the catapillars themselves - when you spot the poo the 'pillar is usually right above it.

Jenn - they produce moths not butterflies - only good thing about the moths is that our dogs like to eat them! (I really need a shuddering smilie).


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

I also vote for Horn worms!! They look just like the stems and leaves--fat, green, round and hug the stems and leaves.. Can defoliage a small plant over nite...


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

I haven't seen any of these yet but my neighbor said that his get stripped every year. What does the moth that lays the eggs look like so I can see it coming?


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