I'm very fond of butterflies. I love watching them fluttering across the lawn or studding the flowers on my buddleia bush. Every so often one flutters into my greenhouse and bangs against the glass a few times before finding its way back out.
Unfortunately I think one of these butterflies has left me a little present.
Over the past few weeks I've been noticing holes in the leaves of my peppers and tomato plants. The holes have been getting bigger. One day I spotted a hole in one of my unripe tomatoes. I pulled it off, but the hole was empty.
Today I spotted the droppings. Unmistakable caterpillar droppings - and not small ones either!
I tried turning over the leaves but I couldn't see anything. Wherever these caterpillars are hiding they're too clever for me!
I looked in my book under common pests and diseases, but there's no mention of caterpillars eating tomato plants.
They're munching their way through my greenhouse!!
Help!!
Home again, home again, jiggety jig
6 days ago
Oooh there are catepillars that eat tomato plants and I think some could be moth caterpillars. But nevertheless very destructive of them!!! Greenworms or hornworms or something like that..
ReplyDeleteOh dear!! Good luck getting rid of them - I can't say how to get rid of them until you see them cos then I'd say pick them off.
Take care
x
I looked up hornworms on the internet after reading your comment - luckily they're an American pest so it's not one of those - phew!!
ReplyDeleteI spotted a couple of them now and picked them off and chucked them over the fence into the field - I think they're small whites - green with a yellow stripe down the side!
I hope there aren't too many more!