Topic: Caterpillars found on my Tomato plants in the greenhouse

[Duke Ellington]

I found some caterpillars on the underside of the tomato leaves. They were about 1/4 an inch long and beige in colour. Can anyone tell me what they are. I found four and killed them but I am sure there are more.

Duke

[qahtan]

We had a lot of like fruit flies round our tomatoes, outside. so took a chance and sprayed them with Listerine, (mouthwash) seems to have done the job, aso the fruit flies round the peaches in doors... might help with your caterpillars . qahtan

[Stevens706]

I’m intrigued, what gave you the idea to use Listerine ?

[saddad]

Tomato Moth... if you have the luxury of two greenhouses grow the toms in the other one next year...
they also eat into the fruit and encourage them to go mouldy...  >:(

[qahtan]

 We have done this a couple years on the brocolli, just a light spray,, I figure it can't do any harm as the listerine goes in your mouh, and all the veggies etc get a good wash, so it can't be any worse than all the crap that farmers use......  we only do it about twice a season. qahtan

[GRACELAND]

Tomato Moth... if you have the luxury of two greenhouses grow the toms in the other one next year...
they also eat into the fruit and encourage them to go mouldy...  >:(

ummm   :o ::) ::)

 but yer not supose to swallow  :-\

[qahtan]

Do you mean you are not suppose to swallow listerine, well you problably swallow more from using it as a mouthwash every day than you would from eating veggies lightly sprayed with it maybe twice a season that then gets a good wash before you eat it...... ;-)))) qahtan

[Duke Ellington]

OK~If this is the tomato moth......
Saddad..... I dont have two greenhouses  :( so is there anything I can do to prevent this or do you have any advice for next year?

Listerine bleached the colour out of my carpet in my last house!! (a spill) I am a bit reluctant to use it on my tomato plants.

Duke :)

[bedrockdave]

I too have had caterpillars in the greenhouse but mine are the same as the ones on the sprouts outside,black/green and green

[saddad]

The trick Duke is to stop any pupating in the border soil... as then you will only get fly by ones not your own nature reserve. The Caterpillars drop into the soil as they know that so do the toms and hence they hacth next to next years food supply. Turning and raking the soil for pupae is Spring is the best I can offer...  :-\

[Robert_Brenchley]

Listerine contains thymol; it would be a lot cheaper to buy the stuff and mix your own. You dissolve it in alcohol and mix the solution with water. It needs handling with care as it's seriously poisonous.

[GRACELAND]

 :o :o :o :o :o :o

 it's seriously poisonous.
 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

[Robert_Brenchley]

How else would it kill mouth bacteria, never mind caterpillars? I imagine the concentration in Listerine is exceedingly low. For that matter, it's found in thyme, hence the name.

[Squash64]

This was on my tomatoes in the greenhouse

[attachment=1]

Not a very clear photo, sorry.  Is this a tomato moth caterpillar?

[GrannieAnnie]

Looks similar to a tent cat.  Usually found in cherry and plum trees etc here in USA. Makes a big silken nest in crotches of branches.

[Duke Ellington]

Squash64~~your caterpillar looks like a bigger version of the type I found in my greenhouse!
The first thing I noticed was their little drops of  :-\poo!!
Duke

[saddad]

That's the one that does the damage here too Betty...  :-X

[Squash64]

The caterpillar was on one of the Mille Fleur tomatoes.  I didn't spot it until I cut down the plant which wasn't surprising because anything could have been hiding there, the trusses were amazing! I won't be growing that variety again though, the taste just isn't there.  :( (but the caterpillers were!)

[saddad]

I thought I'd got them all but found one today actually inside a tomato... (not like a codling moth caterpillar!)  :'(

[InfraDig]

As I have just discovered, what I started thinking was mice, turns out to be caterpillars. Not sure yet as to the extent of the damage. It seems as if they can burrow into the tomatoes. Any ideas on long term plans? Will fumigating the GH at the end of the year hold them down?
Thanks.