I Am Raising Hornworms.

[Brown Thumb]

I pulled my dead,dieing rustica plants tonight.
My boy was helping me put the leaves in a box after I took them off and found a Hornworm.
He knew what to do and smashed it.
Then my little girls came over to the shack and asked what was going on. So the Hornworm hunt was on . Like Fireflies. They found 9 baby hornworns in my rustica plants and they are now in the extra fish tank eating tobacco. I would take pics but do not have a cell phone and My camara is at the shop.
Any Help would be appricatiated at raising these things.
Tom

 

[Tom_in_TN]

Sure, let 'em eat some baccy leaves until they are ready to begin the change into the next stage. Their bright green skin will start to turn brownish, on their backs at 1st. Keep them in the area where they were discovered. They will dig themselves into the soil, about 6" to 8" or so. Their bodies will undergo a change and form a hardened shell. Next season along about May-June-July (depends on warmth and rains) they will begin to migrate (dig up) toward the surface and emerge as a sphinx moth. Some will be male moths and some will be females, who knows at this time? You could allow them to emerge into an enclosed area, build a small enclosure using Agribon crop cover material. Identify the male and female moths by examining the size and shape of their antennae in order to make that determination. Remove the males and eliminate them, whatever. Allow the captive female moths to attract males. Capture the males and again, eliminate them. Keep the females alive as long as possible.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Sure, let 'em eat some baccy leaves until they are ready to begin the change into the next stage. Their bright green skin will start to turn brownish, on their backs at 1st. Keep them in the area where they were discovered. They will dig themselves into the soil, about 6" to 8" or so. Their bodies will undergo a change and form a hardened shell. Next season along about May-June-July (depends on warmth and rains) they will begin to migrate (dig up) toward the surface and emerge as a sphinx moth. Some will be male moths and some will be females, who knows at this time? You could allow them to emerge into an enclosed area, build a small enclosure using Agribon crop cover material. Identify the male and female moths by examining the size and shape of their antennae in order to make that determination. Remove the males and eliminate them, whatever. Allow the captive female moths to attract males. Capture the males and again, eliminate them. Keep the females alive as long as possible.

This will never happen!! Sorry kids.

 

[Chicken]

spray the baccy in the cage with B.T.

and watch them die a slow agonizing death<

 

[deluxestogie]

For the kids, have a look at the only hornworm shirts on planet earth.

http://www.cafepress.com/nicotiana/7934861

Bob

 

[coupon-clipping-granny]

I pulled my dead,dieing rustica plants tonight.
My boy was helping me put the leaves in a box after I took them off and found a Hornworm.
He knew what to do and smashed it.
Then my little girls came over to the shack and asked what was going on. So the Hornworm hunt was on . Like Fireflies. They found 9 baby hornworns in my rustica plants and they are now in the extra fish tank eating tobacco. I would take pics but do not have a cell phone and My camara is at the shop.
Any Help would be appricatiated at raising these things.
Tom

hey brown thumb i did some research and if you plant basil around your areas they are a natural pesticide to keep hornworms away from your plants

 

[Brown Thumb]

I still have two in a big peanut jar filled with dirt waiting for then to emerge. They are alive in there cacoons if you want to call them that. they actually move around down under.
Thanks Granny, I will have to give that a try.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I read they make good bait, maybe view it as a double crop, pick em off then when you have enough go fishing.

 

[chillardbee]

In that case I nominate you as the first president of the Hornworm Breeders Association. We may not have hornworms here but we have other caterpillars (might be the cabbage moth) but they sure raped one of my plants until I found him and put an end to his eating spree.

 

[Boboro]

Im thinkin about savein some of em in the bottom of tequilla bottles.

 

[DGBAMA]

Take the kids fishin is my vote.

 

[BarG]

I still have two in a big peanut jar filled with dirt waiting for then to emerge. They are alive in there cacoons if you want to call them that. they actually move around down under.
Thanks Granny, I will have to give that a try.

You can always schedule hornworm fights for next spring time. Be sure to feed them well and keep at your local.

 

[DGBAMA]

2-1 odds on the big one.

 

[Knucklehead]

You can always schedule hornworm fights for next spring time. Be sure to feed them well and keep at your local.

BarG, break out some of your old horn worm training pictures. The ones where they were tied out guarding the patch, the one on the potting table, etc. That was some funny stuff. Perfect thread for it.

 

[BarG]

I think theres a law against transporting hornworms across state lines.

 

[rainmax]

BarG, break out some of your old horn worm training pictures. The ones where they were tied out guarding the patch, the one on the potting table, etc. That was some funny stuff. Perfect thread for it.

Yes, please. Show us some pictures.

 

[Brown Thumb]

They are still alive I am waiting for them to surface
I can see them moving around the bottom
I might put the container they are in out in the sunlight and fry they
butts if they do not hurry up

 

[Fisherman]

I think theres a law against transporting hornworms across state lines.

http://www.greatlakeshornworm.com/hornworm-eggs.html

Mite be

 

[Brown Thumb]

He finally hatched, About 2 weeks ago.
His wings are a little messed up

 

[Chicken]

i sprayed my screen with some B.T.

after seeing that pic.