Hopefully didn't kill one of these.

Newly-emerged adult:

Yeah, can't tell for sure from the picture but looks more like a cocoon hanging there rather than a dead hornworm. Never seen a dead hornworm hanging like that. They just fall to the ground.

Have no idea what "Organocide" does but Bt doesn't have that blackening effect either.

Dave

it was a closeup and it shows worm clearly with naked eyes. it has been dead for more than a few days and got hung there for some reason. ants wouldnt touch it either.

Organocide kills worms and aphids along with lots of spider mites. I decided to go with both mixed together. I will be spraying again next weekend to get max. effect. tomatoes have started to put fruit and at the same time Aphids and these worms have started to hit my plants. As of yesterday it was nice and clean.

I like Organocide contrary to few other posts on this forum. It works great if you follow the guidelines. its 100% organic fish oil emulsion.

Never seen a dead hornworm hanging like that. They just fall to the ground

Three years ago, I had about twice as many hornworms as other years. Late-ish in the season, I found several at the 2" stage in the upper branches of two adjacent plants. There was additional damage, but I never found the cause ...

... until a few weeks later, when I found the "skeleton" of a hornworm (just a web of connective tissue, no skin or insides -- but the correct shape and posture to be a hornworm, and the correct size to have been a sibling of the last bunch I'd removed) perched near the top of the end plant -- in the exact location where I'd had the mysterious damage. There wasn't any skin, so I think there couldn't have been any of the little cocoons, but I assumed that was what killed him and left him frozen on the leaf stem.

He may have retained his "horn" as well; I don't remember.

I confirmed it again. found four more similar dead worms and they were all turned black and gooey. it looks like BT exploded inside the worms and color may be due to organocide? either way, time for 2nd round in three days, bye bye worms.

Behl, maybe you should try this next time.

Here is a link that might be useful: another approach to dealing with hornworms

Behl, maybe you should try this next time.
another approach to dealing with hornworms

Loved it! But I'll continue to set my hornworms (and other worms) out for the birds to dispose of.

Nah! I like to hit it haed on! I am glad that I am at least going organic route in protecting myself. if push comes to shove and I cant control situation, I can go non-organic too. regardless, it was nice to see them explode like that.

Bt makes me sick. Don't assume organic sprays are safe.

Under what circumstances does it make you sick?

It makes me sick if I eat tomatoes sprayed with it. I can eat them and enjoy them but then I have consequences the next day. I thought it was the tomatoes themselves but I realized this doesn't start until summer when the worms start to be a problem. So this year I did not spray Bt and I can eat tomatoes breakfast, lunch and dinner. It took me a couple years to put two and two together.

I assume you normally wash your tomatoes but don't peel them?

It seems unlikely to me that the Bt could have passed through the skin to enter the fruit.

I'd be more inclined to think you either had a reaction to inhaling dust or spray when you treated the plants, or you picked up Bt from handling the fruit or plants.

You're probably not interested in experimenting to determine the exact reason!

If by sick you mean diarrhea, some strains of BT produce an enterotoxin that can cause diarrhea in humans and these strains have been found in some of the commercial insecticides on the market.

Here is a link that might be useful: BT produces enterotoxin

The pic is NOT a pupa/chrysalis. it is definitely a DEAD caterpillar. NO, monarchs do NOT emerge from hornworms, nor are any adult leps harmed by Bt. Yes, many caterpillars, including hornworms, if sick, will die while still clinging to a stem. I use NO insecticides, Bt or otherwise. I have SO MANY tomato plants, some tobacco [I don't even use it], flowering Nicotiana, a plethora of wild nightshades [weeds] and so relatively few manduca hornworms, they are ALWAYS WELCOME here!!!
In fact, while visiting other local gardeners/truck farmers, I always take along my collecting gear, so I can remove/relocate any unwanted hornworms. I've actually been turned down a couple of times, too. Seems I'm not the only sphinx moth lover in the world, heehee!
Today, I went ot check on 7 worms I reared from my own hatchlings. One of my big [5th instar] cats was found dead, black as coal, and grotesquely hanging from a stem. I quickly removed the body and placed in the burn barrel. This was obviously a virus or fungus of some kind. 24 hours ago, the same cat was quite alive, but not eating. I know why, now. It had not yet turned real pale or pinkish, indicating it was ready for my dirt bucket, either.

If Bt is used, it is safe unless someone is allergic to it, as the poster above got sick. Normally, it's quite safe for people, pets and wildlife. Bt has little to no effect on older [3rd to 5th instar] caterpillars, either. Just gently remove your larger hornworms and either relocate to a nightshade weed somewhere or a goathead [puncturevine] sticker plant [they eat those!]. Since school has started, many teachers will happily accept them for in-classroom rearing for the pupils to observe. Killing them should only be the last resort if no other host plants or homes can be found.

"If Bt is used, it is safe unless someone is allergic to it, "

No, it is not an allergic reaction that causes the diarrhea; it is an enterotoxin produced by the bacteria.

Tomatoworm, I wasn't implying that Bt would kill an adult Monarch. Just showing that it chose my tomato plant to pupate on after going through earlier stages on the milkweed. I haven't used Bt in many years ... not since I got serious about gardening for butterflies.

Agree, yumtomatoes.