[metmom]

Everything but TOUCHING the hornworm.

I had never seen them before I encountered my first one on a tomato plant.

When I was in among the tomatoes and came face to face with the disgusting thing, I must have set some kind of world record for the standing back jump. I don’t ever recall moving so fast in my life.

[MomwithHope]

We have not seen them in years but when I did I took a coffee can and a scissors and just cut off the branch they were on. Can’t touch them either. Next add some charcoal starter fluid and toss in a match. Entertainment!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

They are horrible, disgusting, destructive critters. I always keep a pair of sharp scissors handy; there's something wickedly delicious about cutting them in half as they're destroying your tomato plants!

However, they turn into the beautiful, night feeding Five-Spotted Hawk Moth which can sometimes grow as big as a Hummingbird: