That’s a tomato hornworm. It will eat all the leaves off your plants. They turn into hummingbird moths. We like to trap them and watch them grow indoors. They need to bury themselves in the dirt once the line on their back starts pulsating.
IsItBrieUrLookingFor
Yes, caterpillars are major garden pests. If you leave them, they will just munch away on your plants.
If you enjoy caterpillars and butterflies, I’d recommend things like milkweeds and butterfly bushes in the future, so you can draw them in, but leave your garden patch intact.
SnooDrawings1480
Kill it. If you see them with white stuff on their back, don’t kill it, but definitely remove it from your garden.
The white things are wasp eggs and are feasting on the hornworm. They’ll hatch and become pollinators.
truckfrudeau25
Just let it destroy your hard work Caterpillar lives matter
kykiwibear
Yeah… he’ll destroy it. Too bad, because he’s kinda cute.
Always-Tired6889
My theory is Eric Carle’s book the Very Hungry Caterpillar was a hornworm lol. But in all seriousness that thing will destroy your tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers. Throw it to the chickens or drown it and leave it for the wild birds to snack on. Also check in your soil surrounding the area.
GrowingBacktotheLand
Yes. It will eat the whole plant.
gardenallthetime
That as others have mentioned is a Tomato Hornworm. They will decimate a tomato plant very very quickly if left unchecked. That being said, what they turn into (Hawk Moth) are AMAZING night time pollinators. If you have maybe a sacrificial tomato plant you can move to the other side of your garden or something, you might want to consider that as an option too if you’ve got plants that might benefit from the future Hawk Months.
mschepac
Not unless you want any tomato plants left.
Maleficent-Winner-33
I wish id have a cool caterpillar friend. My tomato plant is pretty much done for the season plus i can only eat so many tomatoes. I want a cool friend to enjoy my plant like i did!
TKG_Actual
Yes you should move it and kill it, unless you like not having any tomatoes.
12 Comments
Yes! They will eat this up quick!
Adding, tomato horn worm. You can guess why 😁
That’s a tomato hornworm. It will eat all the leaves off your plants. They turn into hummingbird moths. We like to trap them and watch them grow indoors. They need to bury themselves in the dirt once the line on their back starts pulsating.
Yes, caterpillars are major garden pests. If you leave them, they will just munch away on your plants.
If you enjoy caterpillars and butterflies, I’d recommend things like milkweeds and butterfly bushes in the future, so you can draw them in, but leave your garden patch intact.
Kill it. If you see them with white stuff on their back, don’t kill it, but definitely remove it from your garden.
The white things are wasp eggs and are feasting on the hornworm. They’ll hatch and become pollinators.
Just let it destroy your hard work Caterpillar lives matter
Yeah… he’ll destroy it. Too bad, because he’s kinda cute.
My theory is Eric Carle’s book the Very Hungry Caterpillar was a hornworm lol. But in all seriousness that thing will destroy your tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers. Throw it to the chickens or drown it and leave it for the wild birds to snack on. Also check in your soil surrounding the area.
Yes. It will eat the whole plant.
That as others have mentioned is a Tomato Hornworm. They will decimate a tomato plant very very quickly if left unchecked. That being said, what they turn into (Hawk Moth) are AMAZING night time pollinators. If you have maybe a sacrificial tomato plant you can move to the other side of your garden or something, you might want to consider that as an option too if you’ve got plants that might benefit from the future Hawk Months.
Not unless you want any tomato plants left.
I wish id have a cool caterpillar friend. My tomato plant is pretty much done for the season plus i can only eat so many tomatoes. I want a cool friend to enjoy my plant like i did!
Yes you should move it and kill it, unless you like not having any tomatoes.