pests What happened? (pest-related)

[simon04]

I was pleased to see the first fruit this seasaon - but this happened!

The picture is a Purple Serrano, where some little vermin has bored a hole in it!!!

Can anyone give me some advice please??

 

[compmodder26]

I'd say either a caterpillar or a bird.

 

[Mikkyd]

Likely birds, they don't have capsaicin receptors. I believe caterpillars would eat the leaves but not the fruit, caterpillars I imagine would literally be burnt by the hot peppers. I could be wrong.
 
Edit: Did you find a caterpillar or insect inside?

 

[Hammerhead]

I just went thru a bout of peppers with holes in them just like your picture.I believe they are weevils( actually caught on a plant). I sprayed with Sevin( guy who sprays my house suggested it). Got it at Home Depot. Some folks came on and said that it kills ladybugs and such but I still have ladybugs on my plants and have only found 2 pods with holes on them in the last 2 weeks. Maybe old pods, who knows.....

 

[compmodder26]

Likely birds, they don't have capsaicin receptors. I believe caterpillars would eat the leaves but not the fruit, caterpillars I imagine would literally be burnt by the hot peppers. I could be wrong.
 
Edit: Did you find a caterpillar or insect inside?

 
Nope, caterpillars will eat the pods too.

I just went thru a bout of peppers with holes in them just like your picture.I believe they are weevils( actually caught on a plant). I sprayed with Sevin( guy who sprays my house suggested it). Got it at Home Depot. Some folks came on and said that it kills ladybugs and such but I still have ladybugs on my plants and have only found 2 pods with holes on them in the last 2 weeks. Maybe old pods, who knows.....

 
Pepper weevils will leave very tiny holes in the pepper.  A weevil wouldn't leave a hole the size of the on in the pic.

 

[simon04]

Hmmm, haven't had too much leaf damage, with exception of some of the bhuts with holes in the leaves. I initially blamed this on the previous greenfly infestation, though could be mistaken!

I will have a hunt for caterpillars etc tomorrow, and cut open the pepper in the picture... The Serrano was never a particularly good plant - so I was surprised when it fruited first.

Suppose it's possible that a bird flew into the greenhouse... it would have been clever to find the one and only pepper, but I guess that's how they survive :-) But then I wonder if it would have taken the whole thing?

Hopefully I can fix the problem, before I'm lucky enough to get more fruit.

 

[simon04]

Update....

Here's a pic of the leaves from plant in question, and the cut pepper from above.

No signs of vermin on the plant itself, though I did find a few very very tiny black-coloured flies buzzing around the soil in a few pots.

 

[simon04]

Further update... there were lots of them little flies!

 

[Mikkyd]

Further update... there were lots of them little flies!

 
Damp soil? 99% likely they are fungus gnats. annoying, common for indoor plants. Also can spread plant diseases.