What is eating the leaves of my pepper plants? It seems to happen overnight and the leaves seem to be taken as if with a scalpel. The cuts are clean and not chewed or shredded. The stems are left alone. This has gone on for several years and I can't find the culprit. It is not slugs, deer or rabbit. Is there any night time winged bug that could do this type of damage. It does not go after my tomatoes, beans and so far squash. It has left my eggplant alone this year and they are a healthy size right now.
Sounds like cut worms. They like tomato plants too. This year I have some containers with Bell Peppers on the porch. My husband found 2 giant cut worms on them. They had already cut the tops and leaves off some of my plants. They were green, same as the plant and so hard to see. Cut worms have what looks like two horns on the top of their head. They are easier to find on the plants early in the morning and late in the evening. Pull them off and kill them. If you have a lot of plants, dust with Seven Dust. It will kill them. I am surprised they have not been after your tomatoes. Once they strip the leaves and tops from a plant they will move to the next.
The foolproof trick for any pest is one part hot sauce to twp parts water, applied every two days and after rain. It seems to literally burn anything that eats it up. Human hair sometimes works, but the sun burns the oil out fast, and re-application makes for a weird garden. Hot pepper spray is nontoxic and doesn't leave any trace behind.
Try putting some cut hair, yes, I said hair, human hair around the plants and make an outside ring also about 6-8 inches out with the hair, and see if that helps. Also look under the leaves and see if you have a green caterpillar. I found one on my tomato plants and they are very hard to see. They just strip the leaves and everything else except the stem.
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