Our friend Megan, who runs Marble Valley Farm, told us an interesting story the other day. Her tomato plants are infested with tomato hornworm. This has always been a very difficult infestation for her to deal with (she is totally organic, so can't just drop death spray on them.) But after much research she came across a brief mention on the internet of using a black light in order to find them. She consulted several of her farmer friends and all were skeptical of this technique since none had heard of it before. Still, out of desperation, she made a trip to Spencer Gifts at the local mall, bought a black light, and went out into the fields with it that night. Amazingly, the black light light up the bugs perfectly. She said it was like picking lights off a Christmas tree. In a few hours they picked over a thousand hornworms off the plants (over 10 pounds!) And thus the tomato crop was saved.
One of her hippie workers fried one up and ate it, claiming it was "not too bad". Lucas was unsure of this verdict.
Cool.
Those appear to be tobacco hornworms, but there's not much difference. I'd be careful about eating too many, as they've been feeding on solanaceous foliage containing alkaloids related to deliriants like datura and nightshade.
They make nice moths though.
Hopps hornworm
A black light from Spencer's Gifts at the mall. Now that is a blast from the past. I hope while they were there they also got some day glo posters, a whoopee cushion, and some fake vomit. Though who needs fake vomit when you got a five gallon bucket of fat juicy green worms. Lucas, this is where you say, I heard that.
Although I'm sure it's harmless to eat a worm, I still think that anyone who does it is a gigantic poophead, unless you're out in the wild & there's nothing else to munch on.
Yuck! A couple years ago I saw this one guy who liked to eat all kinds of spiders. Would I do that, just because it can be done?? Nope. :-)
High in protein. One day we'll all be eating bugs and grubs. More sustainable than steak.
The tomato worms I remember from childhood (garden pests) were filled with a bilious green juice. It would take some pretty fancy cooking for me to get one down now. I'll leave it to tv show off Andrew Zimmern, he'll eat
anything to keep that goofy career going. But Linda is right, it's the future.
Well, I won't be one of those people eating worms & grubs.
It's just too gross for me to even think about. I'd rather go vegetarian or something.
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Our friend Megan, who runs Marble Valley Farm, told us an interesting story the other day. Her tomato plants are infested with tomato hornworm. This has always been a very difficult infestation for her to deal with (she is totally organic, so can't just drop death spray on them.) But after much research she came across a brief mention on the internet of using a black light in order to find them. She consulted several of her farmer friends and all were skeptical of this technique since none had heard of it before. Still, out of desperation, she made a trip to Spencer Gifts at the local mall, bought a black light, and went out into the fields with it that night. Amazingly, the black light light up the bugs perfectly. She said it was like picking lights off a Christmas tree. In a few hours they picked over a thousand hornworms off the plants (over 10 pounds!) And thus the tomato crop was saved.
One of her hippie workers fried one up and ate it, claiming it was "not too bad". Lucas was unsure of this verdict.
- jim 8-03-2013 3:13 pm
Cool.
Those appear to be tobacco hornworms, but there's not much difference. I'd be careful about eating too many, as they've been feeding on solanaceous foliage containing alkaloids related to deliriants like datura and nightshade.
They make nice moths though.
- alex 8-03-2013 4:53 pm [add a comment]
.......*What??* lol...........Say that aloud fast in front of some people & see how they'll admire your intellect. That was a good one alex.
- bonnie (guest) 8-10-2013 8:56 am [add a comment] [edit]
Hopps hornworm
- bill 8-03-2013 5:01 pm [add a comment]
A black light from Spencer's Gifts at the mall. Now that is a blast from the past. I hope while they were there they also got some day glo posters, a whoopee cushion, and some fake vomit. Though who needs fake vomit when you got a five gallon bucket of fat juicy green worms. Lucas, this is where you say, I heard that.
- jimlouis 8-04-2013 3:14 pm [add a comment]
Although I'm sure it's harmless to eat a worm, I still think that anyone who does it is a gigantic poophead, unless you're out in the wild & there's nothing else to munch on.
Yuck! A couple years ago I saw this one guy who liked to eat all kinds of spiders. Would I do that, just because it can be done?? Nope. :-)
- bonnie (guest) 8-10-2013 8:41 am [add a comment]
(what I meant to add is if a person were out in the wild, starving...then maybe eating a worm would sound reasonable.)
- bonnie (guest) 8-10-2013 8:47 am [add a comment] [edit]
High in protein. One day we'll all be eating bugs and grubs. More sustainable than steak.
- linda 8-10-2013 6:28 pm [add a comment]
The tomato worms I remember from childhood (garden pests) were filled with a bilious green juice. It would take some pretty fancy cooking for me to get one down now. I'll leave it to tv show off Andrew Zimmern, he'll eat anything to keep that goofy career going. But Linda is right, it's the future.
- bill 8-10-2013 6:35 pm [add a comment]
Well, I won't be one of those people eating worms & grubs.
It's just too gross for me to even think about. I'd rather go vegetarian or something.
- bonnie (guest) 8-10-2013 10:59 pm [add a comment]