Several questons, I have several var of toms, and a couple of cherry typs,,, the tomato worms liked one of the cherrys, and all of everything I planted, in one nite they ate almost half of each plant I have. Location here,,,, south of San Antonio Tex.
Wasps.
If you see a tomato worm with white growths on it then let that worm live, the white growths are the eggs of a wasp and they will eat the insides from the worm.
Nature is wonderful,
Get yourself down to the local Feed and Seed for some BT (bacillius thuringiensis). One brand name for the stuff is Di-Pel. Mix with water and spray. Start spraying weekly when you see the medium size Hawkmoth or Sphinx moth that's looking for a place to lay her eggs. Make sure you get good coverage on the leaves' undersides. (Moth images:
As another poster said, the white, rice-like eggs on the back of mature hornworms come from the Braconid wasp. The eggs are parasites and should be left alone as they will kill the worm and ensure you have wasp preditors next year.
You got some good advice. Bt is the best insecticide for these critters which are hornworms. They attack both tomatoes and tobacco. The tomato worm is a fruit burrowing worm, actually the same critter as the corn earworm. On Tomatoes it also can be controlled with Bt.
Natural predators are paper and mud wasps. Don't destroy nests unless they are a hazard.
Use BT, it is available from the nursery.
Go out at dawn and dusk and hand-pick them from the damaged areas...
Good luck!!!!!!
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