How to get rid of worms on petunias.

With flowers as plentiful and bright as the sunny days they love, petunias symbolize summer, but worms on them can be distressing and frustrating.Perennials bloom for months at a stretch in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11.When a petunia's flowers unfurl with holes in them, the plant is the victim of a tobacco budworm attack.One of the three petunia-infesting insects are budworms.Organic measures can be used to eliminate all three plants.

Tobacco budworms hatch from eggs deposited on petunia leaves.The camouflaging on petunias is light green.Budworms feed on the buds.ragged petals, round holes at the bases of the flowers, infested buds failing to open and black specks of waste on the buds and leaves are symptoms of an outbreak.

When the tobacco budworms emerge from their hiding places around the base of the petunias, it's a good time to remove them.Pick the plants and drown them in soapy water.

If handpicking is too hard, spray with a ready-to-use antibiotic.There is a pesticide called spinosad.Worms that eat pesticides may stay on the plants for several hours before they die.It's best to spray when the bees aren't likely to leave for at least three hours.Bt does not harm bees.Treat the petunias when there is no sun.

To coat the petunias, shake the bottle and coat them.After rain, apply the pesticide brand's recommended interval.Follow the label's instructions when working with pesticides and wear protective clothing, waterproof gloves, safety goggles, and a mask.

The variegated cutworms chew large, irregular holes in petunia leaves, named for the light yellow spots running down the tops of their bodies.They only eat at night or in cloudy weather.During the day, the cutworms are hidden in the mulch or soil around the base of the petunias.

Pick up the cutworms from the plants after dark.During the day, use a garden trowel to dig a trench 2 or 3 inches from the stems.The worms are in a C-position.Put them in soapy water.If you want to eliminate budworms, spray the petunias with Bacillus.