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!!
Let there be wreaths!
1 day 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!