Have you ever gone out to your garden to find that something had eaten a ton of leaves overnight? One expert gardener shows followers how to look for one of the worst culprits.
The scoop
Growing Out The Box (@growingoutthebox) is a backyard gardener showing folks on Instagram how to create beautiful thriving gardens in raised beds.
In one post, he shares how to spot horned worms eating your tomatoes. He issues the warning specifically to new gardeners, but anyone can benefit from the knowledge.
In the clip, he shows a tomato stalk that has been completely stripped of its leaves. When seeing damage like this he suggests, "Start looking around up under the leaves, because chances are you're gonna have a hornworm somewhere on there."
He goes on to show the two hornworms he finds on his plant. Even when he's pointing them out, the caterpillars blend into the plant incredibly well.
He goes on to explain that this appears to be a tobacco hornworm, evidenced by the color of its tail. These caterpillars will turn into a Carolina sphinx moth, with the tomato hornworm becoming a five-spotted hawkmoth, according to Utah State University.
Removing the two hornworms should allow his tomato plant to recover, though he does not explain the method of disposal. He removes the insects with a pair of pliers, sharing they are harmless to humans and don't bite.
How it's working
Tips like this help home gardeners maximize their crop, saving time and money at the grocery store. With a bit of an upfront investment, many gardeners can grow hundreds of dollars of produce a year.
Growing food at home is a rewarding way to get outside in the summer. Plus it can be good for your health, as gardeners are shown to get more fiber, have less stress, and even have decreased rates of certain cancers.
What people are saying
Commenters were thankful for this tip. One person wrote, "They will eat it down to the bone."
Someone else suggested. "I hunt for them at night! I put my headlamp on and they show up so well!"
Another person said, "Thanks for the tip. The[y] damaged a lot of my roma last year."
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