Caterpillars! Help!

I have been bothered this yr. by diseases and bugs. Here they come again. Caterpillars. I hope they are not from a butterfly, I have lots of them too.
The catarpillars are black and white striped, lenghtwise, with a red/orange head. The adults are same but more fuzzy. They are eating holes in the leaves of these plants: sw. potato, okra, and eating the fruit of peppers, but not the leaves. Also, christmas cactus and african violet. I know the violets should not be outside but they love the porch. My camera is down again, so no pic.
Please don't tell me to pick them off, there are thousands of them!
I've looked for a pic of them online but non found?
Should BT be used? I have some by Garden Safe, and I've already used this on the violets and cactus. Should I use this on the veggies? Or something else?
I think they do most of their eating at night, for the plants look worse in the AM.
Jo

If you have BT, that is what I use on broccoli and cabbage. If I don't I get lots of veggie holes.

Well, I am having a time with caterpillars as well, but I know what mine are! Cabbage loopers and cutworms mostly, with some hornworms on the pepper plants. This is the worst year I've had, and I have marigolds all over! Those are usually my first defense. I sprayed with BT a couple of weeks ago but I think it was old because it didn't do anything. I sprayed earlier in the week with new stuff and I'm going to do another spray tomorrow and see what happens. I notice you are in the South as well (I'm in central FL) and I'm wondering if it has to do with the massive amounts of rain we've had?

So did the BT help????