Tomato-Eating Caterpillar !!!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Found the first poo on my Black Cherries today. Went out with the large lamp tonight and squished over 20.

Not much damage so far maybe 3 toms but going to have to keep my eye out now.

Potty

[chilli_grower]

I have not had any caterpillars on my tomatoes.

But, I have had brown ones and almost illuminous green ones ALL over my chilli plants.

They have proven to be quite a nuisance, and have been eating all of my superhots! Oddly, they have not touched ANY of the cayennes.

I have had no choice but to pull a lot of fruit off whilst still green, otherwise they will all be eaten! Fingers crossed at least some of the remaining fruit aill ripen....

[Tripmeup]

I have not had any caterpillars on my tomatoes.

But, I have had brown ones and almost illuminous green ones ALL over my chilli plants.

They have proven to be quite a nuisance, and have been eating all of my superhots! Oddly, they have not touched ANY of the cayennes.

I have had no choice but to pull a lot of fruit off whilst still green, otherwise they will all be eaten! Fingers crossed at least some of the remaining fruit aill ripen....

yep, me too..Thus far, tomatoes unaffected, but they were very attached to chilli plants....

[Bren In Pots]

I've not seen any on my toms but the basil growing along side where covered with them this morning

[Pineberry]

My polytunnel toms are beign munched by green caterpillar. Outside ones are less affected to certain extent, but still damage. I have to pick them earlier otherwise there will be bite marks. Never before have I seen this pest.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Today I have just confirmed a 'nap hand'. Cabbage Whites for the brassica's, Tomato moth on the toms and now bruudy Leak moth on my baby leaks.

And a guy on the tele the other night was stating 'its a bad year for butterflies etc'.

Potty

[rustylady]

And a guy on the tele the other night was stating 'its a bad year for butterflies etc'.

Potty

He wants to come to Lowestoft then, bladdy things and their babies everywhere. Even eating the things they're not supposed to eat. I got cabbage white caterpillars eating horseradish leaves

[Farmer_Gyles]

really glad i read this thread .... i popped down to the greenhouse to check, found a couple of dozen toms with holes in ..... i binned them .... i found one caterpiller, now squashed .... i removed all leaves with holes in too .... if i spot any more leaves with holes, then i know there's another caterpillar in there

the damaged leaves were mostly near the bottom of each plant .... no damage higher up

the caterpiller seemed to like Harbinger and Belle tomatoes the most .... it didn't touch Pomorello, Golden Sunrise and Tigrella ....

[bearded bloke]

Little sods are grazing on most varieties in my GH,but seem to particularly favour Yellow Stuffers

[esbo]

I have a big Tom which seems to have been eaten by something maybe a caterpillar, I think it is beefsteak variety, however I never planted any of those so it looks like a stray seed got in with something else. I have more than enough toms though so the caterpillars can help them selves, I find only the odd one here and there has been eaten.

[Pineberry]

I have a big Tom which seems to have been eaten by something maybe a caterpillar, I think it is beefsteak variety, however I never planted any of those so it looks like a stray seed got in with something else. I have more than enough toms though so the caterpillars can help them selves, I find only the odd one here and there has been eaten.

Do not be too relaxed about, now you see only occasional damage but it may escalate to major disaster. That's exactly what happened to my toms. I am now even thinking of just cutting them down altogether. Even though I was hoping I would prolong the ripening well into November in the polytunnel. Seems they will be eaten by caterpillar by then, even the green ones.

[carolineholding]

yes I found a hawk moth Caterpillar on my potatoes last year (in SW France), they are quite an amazing thing to behold, thankfully it seemed to be the only one

[veggiechicken]

Most of my toms are cherry types. The only one to have had caterpillar damage (so far) has been a large plum tomato. Guess these critters are attracted to toms that are large enough to live inside and the small ones would be too cramped!

[Bill HH]

Plus dont forget if you leave these demons to it they will pupate and reincarnate next year in the millions. I find they actualy prefer green tomatoes! this is an indication of how wierd they are. Two years ago I ignored them and they stipped 6 plants almost right out, the few remaing tomatoes I binned because all that black poo put me right off them.

[blue411]

Omg. I thought it was just me, over the last two days ive removed over 10 both green and brown, lots of toms ruined.