Where do tomato worms come from ,?

Question

I pick them off and then a week later there are more ?

Answer 1

Sphinx moths lay eggs under the leaves.  

Answer 2

The tomato worm is either the larvae of the Hawk Moth or the larvae of the Sphinx Moth.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

The moths "lay their eggs as soon as they mate after hatching, & appear in late June to August. Full grown larva (3-4 weeks feeding) wander around the garden digging themselves in where they form a pupa (brown and about 3cm long) that overwinters and hatches in the spring."

Here's photos & info on how to get rid of them :

http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-harmfu...

http://www.vegetarian-fun.com/garTomatow...

The caterpillars (larvae) can  hide under the foliage because their pale-green color looks exactly like part of the tomato plant itself:

http://www.kitchengardeners.org/2008/07/...

There is also a tomato fruit worm which is also known as the  corn earworm or cotton bollworm.  The moth lays the eggs in the top growth of the plant, then the larvae (small worms) hatch and make their way to the fruit.   Also, if corn is planted nearby, it may attract more moths & those "worms" can be worse on your tomatoes.

http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fieldcrops/insec...

Images of the tomato fruitworm (corn earworm) & moth:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/exten...

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

Good luck!!!   Hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

You can find the distinctive large brown pupae when you turn the soil in the spring,but the eggs are very difficult to see.Since the tomato horn worms are so easy to spot I just pick them off.

They can have two hatchings per season,so you may just have to keep at them this year.

The following site has useful info on how to get rid of them.