something eating my bell pepper plants

vanter0109 7/2/2010, 7:44 pm

Ahhhhh!!!!!

Something is eating my bell pepper plants, and soon they will have no leaves :o(

I have been carefully watching the plants, but have not found anything. I check the tops & bottom of the leaves, the stems & around the plants; but never see anything. I did however find baby grasshoppers on my cucumber plant (in another garden accross the sidewalk). I wonder if it's the grasshoppers?

The holes in the leaves are round & start off very small, then grow & grow & grow & grow...

Ok, so if it is the grasshoppers, how do I stop them? Besides squishing. Any spray or dust? Have been trying to stay as organic as much as possible, but the gloves need to come off!

Any assistance would be much appreciated.

Chopper 7/2/2010, 9:43 pm

Decide if you want to go organic or are willing to kill at all costs. Then go to your nearest garden center and let them know the symptoms and ask what kills common leaf eating menaces in your area. If it isn't clear from the label, it probably isn't organic, but the staff of the smaller specialty places should know. The big box stores - it's a crap shoot.

songstriss 6/10/2012, 10:01 pm

Greetings from the High Desert. I am having a similar problem with something eating my pepper plants. Whatever is eating them consumes an entire plant in one night leaving just a small stem. I have checked them and can find no evidence of any culprits. Any ideas on what it is and how to prevent it would be greatly appreciated. Shocked

Chopper 6/10/2012, 10:13 pm

It is possible that it is a grasshopper - or a couple of them. They will do that.

And that much could be a bigger critter like a rabbit or ground squirrel.

songstriss 6/10/2012, 10:20 pm

Thank you. I did suspect that it might be grasshoppers. Is there any way to protect the plants from them? I tried putting some netting over it but that didn't seem to deter them.

Chopper 6/10/2012, 10:42 pm

If it is fine enough it should. unless they are already hiding in the area under the net. Did this happen overnight or during the day? Might be worth going out at night and seeing what you catch in the act. But if it is a grasshopper, netting should work.

cheyannarach 6/10/2012, 11:02 pm

songstriss wrote:Greetings from the High Desert. I am having a similar problem with something eating my pepper plants. Whatever is eating them consumes an entire plant in one night leaving just a small stem. I have checked them and can find no evidence of any culprits. Any ideas on what it is and how to prevent it would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have deer because that's what the deer to to me!

westx 6/10/2012, 11:20 pm

Check out this link for an organic remedy. http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Kaolin-Clay_vq2138.htm

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something eating my bell pepper plants

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