What can tobacco hormworms eat?

[whoami?]

Yeah, they can obviously eat tobacco.

But given no tobacco leaves available, will they eat anything else?

 

[Wade]

I think they may eat tomato (the plant) leaves. You might want to check with Carolina Biological as I think they sell them for classroom use. I assume there must be an alternative food.

Maybe they'll eat cigarettes (j/K)

Wade

 

[Buspirone]

They'll eat bell peppers or the leaves off a pepper plant. If you are using them as feeders for reptiles don't feed them tomato leaves, there is substance in tomato leaves that is toxic to some herps and that substance will build up in the worms as they eat. That was what I was told by a dealer at the last herp show I went to.

 

[Wade]

I believe it, tomatoes are in the "nightshade" family, known for containing toxins.

I wasn't thinking "feeder", I guess I assumed he was interested in big cool caterpillers.

Wade