Have A Garden? Keep An Eye Out For Tobacco Hornworms

One of the many things brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has been the resurgence of gardening.  Yes, we all know people who have always kept a garden.  But, over the last few months, people who had found their usual leisure activities closed or cancelled, began to buy seeds and soil.

As a result, we've got a bunch of newby gardeners who are learning to use their green thumb on the fly.

If you are one of these "green" gardeners (see what I did there?) and you are planting tomatoes you are going to want to keep an eye out for Tobacco Hornworms.

According to the University of Florida, these critters, also known as Tomato Hornworms (after what they attack), are a type of caterpillar that is a pest of the family Solanaceae, which includes tobacco, tomato, pepper, eggplant, and various weeds.

They're almost alien-looking, aren't they?

According to WGME, they are known for their "sneak attacks".  They appear to infest their preferred plants overnight.  The fact that tomato plants have thick foliage doesn't help spotting them any easier.

The easiest way to get rid of them is to hand pick them and drop them into a bucket of soapy water.  That'll kill them.

The good news is that, even though they are a major nuisance (and very destructive to your tomato plants), they are not harmful to pets or people.

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