Pick them off.

They will devastate both leaves and fruit, tomatoes and peppers.

If you see the tell-tale white rice-like appendages on the hornworm then leave it alone.

If you have chickens - they love to eat them.

Chickens are still in the hopeful future. Maybe I should rent some.

Meanwhile, I'll pluck any other egg-free hornworms I see. Thanks!

Unless you know for sure the Braconid Wasps are around and active hand picking of these buggers is the best means of control. Bacillus thuringiensis - Kurastaki can be used and is effective when the hornworms are in quite early stages of their life.

KILL! I sound like Arlo Guthrie, if you're old enough to remember "Alice's Restaurant."

Those things can take a strong, healthy plant down in 24 hours if let be. There's no time to wait for the beneficial wasps to arrive and hatch, unless you have tons of other plants that aren't affected.

I really am offended by these guys. I've tried just setting them elsewhere on the lawn, but don't think I've ever seen a bird eat them! Though I have no scientific evidence of what I'm saying.

Just another foolish old lady who's nuts about her garden, and even more so about her soil. :D Happy summer!

Ah, chickens. Nope, but I wish. It would be such a great food web in my own yard... :D

My chickens won't eat them. BT kills honey bees if you spray at the wrong time. My horn worms only last for about a month. My honey bees are few and far between. I don't want to do anything to kill them.

zackey, where did you unearth that misinformation? There is some evidence that the Bt strains in the Genetically Engineered crops does get into the pollen and nectar that bees collect and can be harmful, but none that indicates spraying any Bt strain in your garden would be harmful.

We are so far from understanding the outcomes of GMO crops that I can't even chuckle about this.

Horn worms for a MONTH? Seriously? Mine eat half a plant in a day, and if for some reason I'm away from the yard, I come back to barren stalks.

Lucky person!

Not sure. I google alot. I'm thinking EDIS pamphlet from University of Florida.

Zackey, Bt is not a problem for honey bees. You've misspoken or misremembered or misread but that is very bad misinformation.