Question
I have a container garden for my tomatoes and I keep finding this green caterpillar about 1 1/2 inches long with these hard white spikes that resemble rice all over it's body. Do you know what it is? It seems to be sucking all the juice from the leaves and turning them brown.

Answer
Millie, what you are describing sounds like the tomato hornworm.

Tomato hornworms are actually caterpillars that chew large holes in the leaves of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes.  Their young larvae are white but they eventually mature into a deep green that blends in with the foliage making them hard to detect.

You can control them by hand-picking them or using an organic control called BT (bacillus thuringiensis) commonly sold under the product name Dipel or MVP.  BT is non-toxic to humans, pets, and the environment, and can be applied right up to the time you harvest. You can purchase these products at a local garden center or through an on-line catalog such as Gardens Alive at:

http://www.gardensalive.com

I would recommend rotating your crop next year to prevent future generations of these insects from infesting next year抯 crop.  Also, be sure to thoroughly till the garden every fall to destroy pupae, the offspring of the tomato worm.

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike