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I seen these beautiful hummingbird like creatures hovering my hyssop plants. I also seen those hornworms on my maters to, what to do , what to do !!!!!! Well now I have to say that finding another host plant is a very good solution. One that was not brought up when I was reading about them at the time I was searching out this moth.
Now I really got to take things in hand cuz I like the moth thats tail looks like a lobster and its wings flaps faster then a honey bee and it can work in the rain. Helps pollinate and being that CCD of our honey bees world round has major problems, we are going to need all the helpers/critters we can get in our gardens.
My problem will be finding another type host plant this season. My garden is close to the woods, can I find something in there? OH do they like Poison Ivy? Wouldn't that be great!!!!!!
The picture is a clearwing hummingbird moth liking my hyssop. I hope I will see them again this season cuz I know I'll see hornworms. Thanks for more studies on this friend/foe to our gardens.
Everything has a place and theres a place for every critter and squashing is not always the best. The hornworm will live on, but I sure like my maters. Maybe the 182+ tomatoes I put out already will be enough for them and me
Great artical and I'm going to read up on your links you shared ,
tc, linda
Ooh, lovely! I'm pretty sure that clearwing doesn't host on tomatoes at any stage. In MO, you might have both Tomato & Tobacco hornworms, though. If you've got some rampant growers, like indeterminate cherry types, they could probaby host a hornworm and still have plenty of leaves and tomatoes remaining... I've got some volunteer petunias that popped up this year (more than I need, but I hate pulling up a "flower"), and I might see if they're interested in munching those.
Oh good news on the clearwing. Now I winter sowed a whole bunch of tomatoes that still need to get out and i have a whole flat of cherry tomatoes to get out and today is the day. I will make a tomato patch just for the moth hummers and transplant them on that. This would make a great place for the grandkiddies to see as well, a learning station. Could plant some flowers in among them so it wouldn't look to bad all chomped on and dotted with droppings, lol.
I was really hopin they like poison ivy, they could munch all they want on that stuff.
Oh Critter I went way over board on my maters this season, most are heirlooms and I'm savin seeds , you might be interested in some seeds.
I'll take a hornworm any day then those black bugs that drop to the grown when they see ya coming, I'm still looking to see what bug that is, its big, black and many on a tomato plant, they can really do a # on my plants. I won't help them out at all. A have a can of soapy water, I sneak/crawl up to them and toss them in the can before they see me but a lot hit the ground and they are gone in a flash. I have been having them in the last couple of years : (
If you can get a photo of that black bug, you'll probably have an ID in a flash from the amazing folks who hang out on the bug ID forum.
I learned last year that nobody can pick/eat half a flat's worth of cherry tomato plants... a whole flat should be enough for you and the hornworms! I like your idea of planting flowers with them! Or just let a couple of varieties sprawl around some of your other butterfly plants... you'll probably get volunteer plants next year from little tomatoes that drop.
Great idea on that nasty black bug ID, if they only stay put for a photo, I'll use my sneek up approach, or the zoom in lens. Or maybe a dead one, their still then.
Lol on cherry tomatoes, there eatin like candy when the kids come over. I'm like you on flowers i can't pull volunteer tomatoes up. We got it bad in a very good way : )
Have a great day Critter, you sure have help this many years at gardening gal out with more to learn each time.
I'd say, give them a try on any plant you don't want. Last year I found one happily munching away on my ash tree (!). Low enough for me to pick off, fortunately--that tree has enough problems as it is without losing its leaves as snack foods!
Sometimes the bugs just don't read the bits in the books about what plants they're supposed to eat and what plants they aren't. Never hurts to try!
Thanks for yet another article, Jill! Enjoyed it, as always!
TJill, I think there might be other hornworms that use ash trees as hosts... I was amazed when I started doing a little research and found out how many varieties we have around, since most don't seem to find their way into my garden either as caterpillars or as adults.
It's entirely possible, critter. Last year I had tobacco hornworms, tomato hornworms, and a rather attractive brown hornworm all in my tomato plants. I don't remember which type it was that I found in my ash, but it was one of the green ones.
Gotta confess, I fed most of them to the roadrunners and lizards. As many as I had, there would have been total annihilation of my poor tomato patch!
LOL, remembering a thread on the tomato forum where somebody was in the habit of tossing them to her chickens... called them "twinkies," and her biddies considered them a treat!
I think there's a brown hornworm pictured in the extension service link at the bottom of the article.
