What type of insect would mostly through eat pepper plants and how do I get rid of them?

Question

I have three types of herbs in my garden, two types of pepper, and tomato. I have noticed that something was eating through my pepper leaves and ignoring the tomato plant. What would that be and how do I get rid of it?

Answer 1

Any number of moth caterpillars or beetles might be the cause. You didn't say the pests were eating your peppers themselves so you still have time. The problems with using dusts and other quick-fix chemicals is that they kill good bugs along with the bad. This leads to worse problems.

Plant marigolds near the peppers. They have a natural insecticide called piperazine which kills pests. Also look at garlic, onions and rosemary to plant near peppers.

Here is a site for companion planting:

http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

Answer 2

Sevin dust will work but it is a toxic chemical.

If you prefer a non-chemical approach that is non-toxic as well then Diatomaceous Earth is what you want. It is not really earth, btw, and it is not harmful to humans or pets or plants. It will, however, kill most any bug you can mention. Anything with an exoskeleton, so that includes all your garden bugs plus ants and roaches and earwigs and white flies etc. etc.

You can get it here: http://www.perma-guard.com

I recommend them because their's is food grade. You might find it at a garden center but BE SURE that you only get a food grade. You don't want the other kind.

Answer 3

Sounds like aphids. However aphids usually like tomatoes. I never plant peppers because they draw aphids. I use a non-toxic, homemade solution to spray for aphids. Here is the recipe:
1 gal. of water, 1 cup of instant coffee crystals, a squirt of dish soap(not detergent), several shakes of tobasco sauce. Shake well. Spary on making sure to do both sides of the leaves and the stems and top of soil in the pot or the surrounding soil. Have used this for years. Work great. You can reduce thee recipe to make an smaller amount if you wish. Do Not Use Instant Coffe Powder,
won't disolve well.

Answer 4

Don't quote me but I trhink I recall an insecticide on pepper plants. A dust similar to the sevin type dust used on rosebushes
some call it carbaryl (sp) powder.

Answer 5

It is probably Japanese Beetles. They are brown, black, and green and a little big larger than the size of a pea. Seven makes several products you can spray on your plants to take care of them.

Answer 6

I had some ants eating my HollyHocks a chum of mine instructed me to apply laundry cleansing soap so I used my tide and that they are long previous. you could take your liquid detergent upload some water and spray it on your plant. in case you have rhubarb you could boil the leaves drain use the liquid and upload liquid detergent and spray that on it..I don;t like pesticides. solid success grandma sue