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Hornworms

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DaveinCoalinga

Does anyone else have problems with hornworms on thier pepper plants? I know they love tomatoes, but this year my tomatoes are going untouched, and my peppers are getting hammered by them. I have lost the entire top, blossoms, leaves, baby pods and all of my habanero this morning. All that is left is the main stalk of the plant. It will regrow, but it is really irratating to now have to wait a couple more weeks. This is the second plant they have done this with, the first being an unknown cap chinense that they completely ate down and it hasn't recovered. At least I planted two of them so I have one left. This is all in overnight damage, as I check them at night and in the morning.
 
I've never heard of hornworms. Where are you located and how's your weather/humidity. I've had some insect devistation too but I think it was mostly cutworm. I also stopped growing tomatillos where I live because of the potatoe beetles. Funny looking potatoes but same family I guess. I think proper crop rotation often helps, but I'll start a new thread on that topic. Good luck
 
I lost an entire sweet pepper plant last year. That little sucker ate all the leaves and half of a pepper in less than 24 hours!! I have used Sevin every few weeks ever since. So far I haven't had any problems, but it's still early. I don't like spraying my veges, but I don't have much of a choice.
 
Yikes!

Something's been munching a few of my pepper plants too this year, but I suspect snails.

I did have a terrible bug problem with my tomatoes. I bought some pyrethrin bug spray concentrate from my local organic garden supply. It's minimal impact and is still considered organic. It should work on the hornworms...you might want to give it a try.
 
How funny is this. I read this post yesturday and about 4 hours later, there's a huge hornworm on my seranno plant munching away! I tried to pick it off but it kept yelling at me(clicking it's jaw), I just cut off the branch and walked him about 7 houses down.
 
Yeah, they make the nastiest sound, makes you thing they are going to take your finger off. I found another one today, ate through 4 jalapenos that were just starting to turn. I just picked the branch he was on and threw it in the back of my truck. It gets hot enough there he will die a nice slow painful death. This has been the worst year I have ever had for them. I never spray anything, but I am just about ready to this year.
 
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