If you grow tomatoes there is no doubt that you are familiar with the tomato hornworm. This tomato plant pest can do some serious damage in just a very short time. If left unharmed, this ugly bug will turn into a beautiful moth but then you would have no tomatoes. Not wanting to spray pesticides on my garden left me with few ways to deal with the critters. I could pick them off and drop them into soapy water, squash them, find some parasitic wasps (didn't know where to look however) or I could carry with me the new "Garden Pal." This device needs no gas or electricity. There is no back breaking work lugging it around as it will just follow you as you go along. My "Garden Pal" was given to me by a friend and was ready to work upon arrival.
Meet Daisy, my friendly Buff Orpington "Garden Pal." All I have to do is break off the limb with the hornworm attached and the "Garden Pal" does it all. There's no need for stooping and bending as the "Garden Pal" leaps high into the air, and
in a split second the job is done. See how fast! The camera couldn't capture this without the blur.
Among the many green hornworms, I found this rather large brown worm. The smaller worm in this picture is not the same kind as the larger one in the picture. I do not know what kind it was but the "Garden Pal" works on all kinds so it didn't really matter. I still would like to know what it is if someone can tell me though.
See the "Garden "Pal" in action again.
Aim
Aim
Leap,
and done.
Today my "Garden Pal" had a real workout as we exterminated about a dozen hornworms.
Today my "Garden Pal" had a real workout as we exterminated about a dozen hornworms.
The title of this post is, "Daisy the Hornworm Slayer" and it reminded me of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I guess Buffy would be a good name for Daisy since she is a buff colored Buff Orpington, but maybe not a fitting name for my black Lab. Regardless, that is her name anyway.
I call this picture "Buffy the Tomato Slayer." She got bored watching the "Garden Pal" work so she decided to find a green tomato to eat and pass the time away.
Gardening is more fun when you have a "Garden Pal." Life with pets - never boring :)
