Wyndie Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 I have a question. I found a large caterpillar on my tomato plant tonight. I have identified it as a tomato hornworm. It has eggs on it that "whatsthatbug" identified as the eggs of a parasitic Braconid wasp. What I can't figure out is if I want to keep this thing. It looks cool and I have it in a jar with holes right now. It's still alive but the site says the wasps will kill it from the inside out. (eww!) Will those things hatch and fly out of the holes? Is this a bad experiment to keep in the house? Thank you. I'm very new at gardening so I'm using google a lot but know many on here are old hands at this sort of thing. And it seems appropriate to ask a Hive a bug question. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Aren't you a better homeschooler than I? Ugh. I kill those pesky hornworms. Never watched the timely demise of a hornworm (only the untimely ones that I cause.) Could be cool. Guess I might put the jar outside in the shade, just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Aren't you a better homeschooler than I? Ugh. I kill those pesky hornworms. Never watched the timely demise of a hornworm (only the untimely ones that I cause.) Could be cool. Guess I might put the jar outside in the shade, just in case. LOL! I do lots of homeschooling around my gardening, but tomato hornworms still give me chills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Well he IS giving me the heebie jeebies. However, he ate all the leaf that was with him and then pooped so the kids are enthralled now that there is a bodily function involved. I may have DH take him to work to give him an early release from life. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 You could send it to my house. :D My DS is obsessed with tomato hornworms, since he read about them. We only have the nice, tame cabbage white caterpillars to take care of here (and we have an entire 10 gallon fish tank dedicated to them). However, I think the reality of the wasp eggs would give me the heeby-jeebies too. Would it be too much to ask you to take a picture so I could show DS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/Wyndie/Creepy%20bug/?action=view¤t=100_8044.jpg& http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/Wyndie/Creepy%20bug/?action=view¤t=100_8045.jpg& I can't get the pictures to attach but you can see them here. Creepy little (or not) thing. And if your son is like my son, he'll be thrilled to know that the things poop look like minature grenades. Isn't that wonderful. :glare: Enjoy. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Thanks! You're right, it does look like grenades. :001_huh: DS thought it was cool. I'm still glad it's in your house and not mine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbasil Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 The wasps are a great thing!! I'd put it outside so they can survive and reproduce. Hornworms can decimate a plant right down to the ground in a matter of HOURS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Wait what? I want to keep this? How do I let the wasps do their thing without keeping the green guy alive? Do I just kill him and toss him back in the garden? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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