Your peppers have produced an area within your garden that offers shade and the earth is cool to his body .... think your going to have to make another raised bed just for him .... good luck
On my parents farm my mom uses an electric fencer like this one and small string of yellow wire; and she is an animal lover.
One snap on the nose and next season no fencer required. The dogs/cats see the wire and stay FAR away.
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I have the same problem, but with cats. I have grown 5 jalapeno plants last year and only 1 survived. They come up to the plant and munch on it until it's gone.