
Tobacco budworm treatment
Have you noticed this pest on buds and blooms in your garden? Stop it before it destroys your flowers! Tobacco budworm is usually green but often takes on the color of the flower it’s feeding on. Some favorites include petunia (Petunia hybrids), geranium (Pelargonium hybrids) and flowering tobacco (Nicotiana spp. and hybrids).
Tilling flower beds in late fall will crush some of the overwintering budworm pupa. In summer, picking the worms off plants works well, too. Do this at dusk, when budworms are most active. And avoid planting petunias under outdoor lights, as the budworm’s adult moth will be attracted to the light at night and lay eggs nearby.