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Some noob questions about problems with my plants...

Hey guys! My plants are getting torn up by something. Not sure what, but I thought you guys might be able to help!

I see one plant with some eggs under a leaf. They look almost like grains of sand suspended from stiff spider web strands. Some of the plants the leaves are chewed all up. Some they are curving in on themselves. Some seem to have new growth missing.

Here are some pics, the first one shows the eggs best I could:

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Any advice you can give me? I have tried a couple of organic products to no avail. Yesterday I sprayed Ortho Bug be GOne...

PS... We have been getting a LOT of rain the past week and the pots are soaked! The plants are leaning over (they are pretty new and probably don't have the best root system yet). I have moved them up under the patio where they will not be getting full on sunlight all day, but they will get at least filtered sunlight all day and full sun in the afternoon. Will they be ok here for awhile?
 
Holes in leaves could be caterpillars. But they usually stay on the plant till they pupate. Most likely grasshoppers since theres no sign of them when you look around.

Someone else can probably comment on the wilted discolored leaves.
 
I have for sure seen some cutworms around the yard (black cutworms I think), but I haven't caught any in the pepper plants. We also have lo caterpillars, but again haven't seen any in the plants. BUT, if these two are causing problems, what should I do? I used Sevin attached to a garden hose to kill the puss moth caterpillars that were killing my dwarf yaupon last year. I'd do this today to the pepper plants, but seeing as my plants are already over watered from all the rain I better find a premixed spray instead. I have found in the past though, that it doesn't work as well.

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lo caterpillar
 
Yepper, could be earwigs, catapillars, grasshopper, and many other pest. The rain will wash the bonide off so keep using it every week or so.

They will not grow as fast in the shade but they need to dry out really good. Once they are dry gradually work them back to full sun. And on days you know it is gonna rain stick them under shelter.
 
Thanks Jaime. I've seen a few earwigs around too! Dang these insects. I always thought they were cool until I started trying to grow peppers, lol.

The "days it's gonna rain" part is hard... its been storming everyday. Normal New Orleans weather for this time of year... Looks like I'll be keeping them under the patio for awhile!

Here is another example of things going on...

2012Jul15_7.jpg


Like little gopher tracks in the leaves...
 
Thanks Papa Bill The picture on that page looks just like these eggs. I have actually seen the larvae around the yard too. Are these the things that end up hanging under the eaves of our house in their little litter cocoons? On a side note, the larvae look a lot like ant-lions. Edit: looking around more I see they are sometimes called aphid lions! Cool!

Bottom photo = Leafminers.

Pretty much harmless except for inhibiting some photosynthesis. Pick affected leaves off if it wont compromise the plant. Wiki:

The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths (Lepidoptera), sawflies (Symphyta) and flies (Diptera), though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.

I've seen a lot of little flies, not fruit flies, around the plants last week. I squished a TINY little worm yesterday, I bet that's what is doing that.

I really appreciate you guys schooling me... I had heard of leaf miners before and had in my head that "idea" but couldn't put a name on it.

I guess there is a lot to keep you up at night when you are growing stuff!
 
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