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Giant Pequin and the Hornworm

JSKaiser

JSKaiser

Banned
Hey guys, I have talked about my Pequin plant before. Its about 6-6 1/2 feet tall. Normally produces a couple of hundred little peppers every year. This years recent rain and all have brought on bugs and hornworms. Took two of them off and disposed of them. They decimated almost every branch on this plant. Im hoping itll pull through.

Heres the trunk on this thing. About 2 1/2 inches across.
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One of the few branches with blooms and leaves.
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Hard to see with all the shrubbery behind, but this would be the skeleton the Hornworms left behind.
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The little horrors that did this to it.
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A 2x4 for comparison
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Well, I found out that Hornworms in fact do not float. I had a bucket outside that got filled with rainwater a while back, and I never used it, so it was rather warm today. The bucket is next to the trash can, and I had to pick one. So, bucket it was. I felt bad til I looked at my plant. little bastard.
 
Was very tempted to. Thought about AJ on this one honestly. This plant is kept at my granmas, so thats why he got so much of it in him. Been working all week, and I go see her today, and this is what I get instead of peppers. There are mounds of fire ants around, but theyre like nuclear ants or something. I have put ant killer out on many a mounds, and its almost like they like it. They just move the mound over a few inches and go back to attacking me as I walk around anyhwere. So I did not venture into the yard to get rid of him. Plus, the bucket was just a few feet away.
 
Yeah, I found some on my maters this week, and in the morning I will be spraying some more NEEM. The little green Bastiches.
 
I neemed that one earlier as well. Hoping it helps and bounces back for this season. Its still possible to get some good fruit if it grows as well as it has. Last year before I cut it back for winter it was around 8 feet with close to 500 little peppers in jars with vinegar and spices, frozen, and already eaten. I cant lose this one. I have been eating the peppers off of it for 13 years.
 
Experience with any of the caterpillers means I now spray my plants with a dipel solution every 3-4 weeks.. It is a biological spray that doesnt affect humans or animals but kills caterpillers by interfering with their gut. The only problem now is that big multinational seed cos are now GEing the bascillus bacterial into corn and cotton and other plants so down the track we are going to have lots of caterpillers that are resistant to dipel.
You can also collect a heap of caterpillers and blend them up in a blender, strain and spray onto your plants.
A garlic spray kills most bugs too. Crush up a cup of garlic, then put enough mineral oil ( parafin) into the cup to just cover the garlic. Leave it to soak for 24 hours. Strain out the bits and mix in equal parts( equal to the amount of parafin) of soft soap (lux, sunlight soap) or similar and water. Bottle and keep in fridge. To use it dilute at least 10 times with water and spray onto plants. Hot chilli can be added to the garlic during the parafin soak to make an extra strong brew (which helps keep pesky mammals away too). As with any homemade solution(or any new fertilizer, fungicide or pesticide) test your diluted spray on a small part of the the plant first to make sure your not hurting your pride and joy.
I use organic remedies on my plants as I like to know what I am eating.
 
Thanks for the info. I might try the garlic solution. I happen to keep a stockpile of it around. Its great for you and great tasting. Ive gotten my gf addicted to it too.
 
It is bloody good for your health. Helps keep colds and flus away and vampires too.
Luckily you have your GF addicted cos it can keep them away as well. lol

Seriously though it is excellent as a pesticide. I once made a batch for a local market gardener who was having big troubles with caterpillas in his brussel sprouts. All of the chemical solutions he tried had failed as the little buggers just retreated into little tunnels they had bored in the undersides of the brussels. He was most impressed with the garlic spray as within a minute or two of spraying the offenders could be seen evacuating by stringing out little silk ropes and rapelling away from the brussels as fast as they possibly could. Needless to say he never gave me shit about organic remedies ever again.
 
You'll have better luck with Ivory or Murphy's soap as there not detergent , it will burn your plants also helps with stickiness so your concoction stays put.
 
I'd have cut open a pepper and rubbed the inside all over him. Anyone know what capsacin will do to one of those little horny bastards?
 
Sandgroper said:
You can also collect a heap of caterpillers and blend them up in a blender, strain and spray onto your plants.
Click to expand...
Now that is the most disgusting thing I read on this forum. I guess if that's gonna be done, a cheap $2 blender from a yard sale or something would do the trick. I sure wouldn't blend food to be eaten in the same blender that chopped caterpillars to bits... even after it's been cleaned 500 times... :shocked: :sick:
 
UltraZelda64 said:
Now that is the most disgusting thing I read on this forum. I guess if that's gonna be done, a cheap $2 blender from a yard sale or something would do the trick. I sure wouldn't blend food to be eaten in the same blender that chopped caterpillars to bits... even after it's been cleaned 500 times... :shocked: :sick:
Click to expand...


What I am trying to figure out is what the purpose of spraying caterpillar juice all over the garden is? It it going to tell caterpillars that if they come around, they could get the same treatment?
 
Many years ago an old Hippie farmer I knew showed me his trick with the catapillers. He picked one or two off and squished them between his fingers and scraped it off on the plants and just kept walkin', a few seconds later wasps started showing up and began to search the plants for catapillers. Seems certain parasitic wasps are attracted to the smell of catapiller guts, and lay their eggs on/in them. If the worm has little white sacs on its back thats the wasp eggs, and the catapiller is no longer a threat.
 
Very interesting stuff guys. Im going to try a few methods. I like the wasp idea except for the fact Im allergic to the sting of them. At least I am to hornets for sure. Havent been stung by a wasp before, but I had some wasps put me in the hospital once. I recently spoke of an aphid issue I had. I wanted to let everyone know that the Neem concentrate let to sit for a week, and 3,000 Ladybugs set loose on them has cleared the garden and house of aphids and whiteflies. Ladybugs are amazing!!!
 
Do praying mantis eat lots of garden pests, or just a particular kind? I know the ladybugs eat all kinds of small bugs and eggs, but I love the way the mantis looks. Would putting some praying mantis out with the ladybugs be bad? They wouldnt hurt the lady bugs would they?
 
Think of the Mantis as a yard shark...they will eat everything that is around "bug wise" that doesn't eat them: Includes lady bugs.
 
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