Taking the Scenic Route

I think I found the problem with the tomatoes.

22nd September 2008

I think I found the problem with the tomatoes.

posted in Garden, Homeschool |

Looked it up. It is a Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca Sexta), a close cousin to the Tomato Hornworm, but the Tomato one has a black horn and the Tobacco one has a red horn. Both eat tomatoes. I discovered that this is the last stage before it goes into a cocoon and emerges a gigantic, beautiful moth. It is horrible in gardens for tomatoes, but a good pollinator and I am trying to figure out what I want to do with the sucker. I really hate to kill it, but I want my tomatoes. It didn’t seem to be going very fast so I figured I would think about it overnight.

Today I did incorporate the caterpillar into the home school. Instead of having Zane work with pictures on his Visualizing and Verbalizing work, I took him outside and used the prompt questions to observe and describe the caterpillar. Some of the things I was planning on showing him didn’t work so well in real life. After looking at videos of the hornworm on YouTube (there are lots), the bugs apparently ooze green goo out both ends when they are disturbed (like when people pick them off of plants). I was going to annoy it with a stick and show Zane that because I knew he would think that was cool. The worm was slumped over and showed almost no resistence to being moved. I put him on the ground and he responded just enough to let me know he was still alive, but probably not by much. I guess mother nature took care of the decision for me.

I did find one person online who likes these critters enough to raise them. Apparently, they are also used a lot for scientific studies, sort of the lab rat for the insect world, because they are big enough to really see the organs with the naked eye and easier to dissect.

Later this evening or tomorrow I plan on helping Zane look up info about it and attempt to have him to make a report (as much as we can…might be pretty short. lol), but I am really tired and he isn’t cooperating well. (he usually does, so I assume he isn’t feeling great either)

And one last bit of good news, Finally, we have a red pepper. mmmmm

This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 4:19 PM and is filed under Garden, Homeschool. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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