Unwanted Guest

[Boarider]

This being my first season, my wife bought three Habanero plants she saw at a big box store for me while I'm at work (I work offshore 14/14). This was going to be a surprise for me when I got back in and she decided to put them in with my Ghost Pepper till I got home.

 
Then she sends me this pic, looks like something is eating them.

 
And what seems to be a fly on them.

 
 
 
Me not being at home and new to this, I wrote a member her that seemed very knowledgeable from his post I've read (Solid7). After sending him pics he wrote back: 
 
"There is most likely a cutworm or tomato hornworm living in your planter.  Two options, here.
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1) every morning, just before, or just after the sun comes up, check for worms. 
2) every evening, just before, or just after the sun goes down, check for worms.
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I find that a UV light helps with this, immensely.  Or a blacklight.  If you don't have those, that's OK.  There is a 3rd option.
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Find yourself either some Neem oil or Bacillus Thurigensis.  These are both safe pesticides.  
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I'd check manually, for now.  This is prime season for caterpillar hatch.  But look for one of the 2 products, while you do the manual check.  "
 
 
 
Had my wife look for either and she came back with this,
 

 
Does anybody have any thoughts on this subject or product? 
Figured to make a thread in case anyone else has or will have the same problem.

 

[scrufy]

Ive used neem plenty of times in the past. Its safe and as effective as non pesticide organics can be.
Slightly soapy water has been used with similar results but Ive had luck with neem.
Does depend on the targeted species though. Ive used it for aphids but never heard of using it on larger worms.
Could also be grasshoppers btw... they cause that kind of damage fast too.
Also- not mentioned but look on the UNDER SIDE of the leaves. Lots of sneaky creepies like to hang out there out of site.

 

[solid7]

I basically told the OP to put this out to the forum, because I am not familiar with this particular product.  I have no experience with that, and cannot attest to its effectiveness.  However, availability of other products may be a concern.
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Personally, this is the type that I use:
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Whenever somebody comes out with a product that's diluted down, and "branded", I immediately get suspicious.  The contents on the bottle say that it's 30%  "other ingredients", without going into detail.  The one I posted is pure Neem.
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Some people will tell you that Neem doesn't work for caterpillars.  Let me assure you that it certainly does.  It will work for anything that chews or sucks on the plant.  And, if it's an adult stage - such as the grasshopper that was mentioned - it will also completely disrupt the reproductive processes of the invader. 

 

[solid7]

OP - Amazon.com is your friend, where no local friends can be found...

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

Sure looks like a rabbit  

 

[solid7]

Sure looks like a rabbit

 
Wouldn't a rabbit have munched that stem down to level earth?
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I actually advised him caterpillar, on account of some of the leaves strewn about the bed.  My rabbits would have leveled a lush little plant like that, with no trace left behind...

 

[D3monic]

Probably cut worm, neem works. Im rather fond of Azamax

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

 
Wouldn't a rabbit have munched that stem down to level earth?
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I actually advised him caterpillar, on account of some of the leaves strewn about the bed.  My rabbits would have leveled a lush little plant like that, with no trace left behind...

The rabbits we have in my yard eat the tender leaves only, even on sunflower shoots, never all the way to ground. 

 

[solid7]

Interesting.  Well, I guess that needs to be added to the list of possibilities...  Maybe the Neem will keep them from reproducing. LOL

 

[peppernovice]

    I initially thought it could be a slug. I have those guys in my yard and they will come up at night and eat leaves. They usually leave some sort of trail, so they should be pretty easy to rule out.
 
 
    Tim

 

[Boarider]

Just getting home from work and found these guys on my ghost pepper plant that is in the same planter, any ID on them?

 

[solid7]

Ladybug larva.  DO NOT kill them!!!!  They are there to help you with your aphid problem.  I would actually tolerate the aphids, on account of their presence...

 

[Boarider]

Ladybug larva.  DO NOT kill them!!!!  They are there to help you with your aphid problem.  I would actually tolerate the aphids, on account of their presence...

I was just mixing the Neem my wife had bout and about to give them a good soaking.
Thanks for writing back so fast.
So let them play their roll?

 

[solid7]

I kinda forgot about the first issue.  Chances are you are gonna kill the good guys with the bad guys.  They say that it's safe, but my experience has been that coating them, is lights out.  That's a tough call.  It's why I said that first choice is to watch for chewing critters.  But honestly, once you wipe out their food source, they're not gonna stay, anyway.  So, I guess it's a wash. 
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Maybe a happy medium, is to move the ones that you see, and play the ol' "out of sight, out of mind" card on the rest.
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Seems a bit extra, but I'm really partial to my good bugs.

 

[Boarider]

I'll look around at Dusk today to see before spraying them.
The little hibanero look like they might be getting fresh leaves. Going to get my soil made up and try to give them there own pots and see.

 

[Boarider]

Seems my problem is still here. But only on my Bonnie plants my wife bought?
I've tried checking on them at dust and dawn even at night with a blacklight I purchased.
I guess now I'll isolate them from the rest of my plants and try the Neem extract while waiting on the pure Neem to come in.
It was just the Hibanero, but now it seems they have a taste for my Jalapenos that are also Bonnie brand.

 

[sobelri]

Could be slugs.  You can make a simple trap w/ beer (just google slugs & beer) and possibly avoid the pesticides.  

 

[solid7]

I'm beginning to think that JoynersHotPeppers is right, and that it might be rodents or rabbit.

 

[Boarider]

I'll try to put a couple traps out and position the plants so my rear cameras can record the action overnight.
Should be interesting .
Other than one leave on a Lava Chocolate Capsicum Chinese the creature prefers the Bonnie plants.

I'm beginning to think that JoynersHotPeppers is right, and that it might be rodents or rabbit.

 

[Masher]

I basically told the OP to put this out to the forum, because I am not familiar with this particular product.  I have no experience with that, and cannot attest to its effectiveness.  However, availability of other products may be a concern.
.
Personally, this is the type that I use:
.

.
Whenever somebody comes out with a product that's diluted down, and "branded", I immediately get suspicious.  The contents on the bottle say that it's 30%  "other ingredients", without going into detail.  The one I posted is pure Neem.
.
Some people will tell you that Neem doesn't work for caterpillars.  Let me assure you that it certainly does.  It will work for anything that chews or sucks on the plant.  And, if it's an adult stage - such as the grasshopper that was mentioned - it will also completely disrupt the reproductive processes of the invader. 

 
I use this one as well. great stuff.