By: Kathleen Mierzejewski
When it comes to pepper plants, there are many different pepper pests. You can avoid them so long as you treat the area, but you have to be careful treating around vegetable gardens as to what you use and how much. If you are having trouble with your pepper plants, this article might help you know which pepper pests you are dealing with so you can apply the appropriate treatment.
Types of worms on peppers
There is a pepper caterpillar called the tobacco hornworm. This particular pepper caterpillar is green and has a red anal horn. The pepper caterpillar will munch on both the fruit and the leaves of your pepper plant. You will know he has been there because he leaves large open scars on the peppers themselves.
Pepper grubs eat at the roots of the pepper plant and prevent the plant from absorbing the nutrients it needs from the soil. This will cause smaller peppers and even plants that simply do not produce any peppers.
A pepper worm like the beet armyworm is another pest that can damage your pepper plants. This pepper worm is about one third of the size of the pepper caterpillar. He can be green or black and is a larva. He will damage the buds and young leaves on the pepper plant. This will prevent any good peppers from forming.
Worms on peppers are truly the biggest pest. You can have the corn ear worm which actually leaves holes in the peppers themselves and the pepper maggot that feeds on the inside of the fruit. When it comes to worms on peppers, the pepper maggot also leaves holes in the fruit. Truthfully, if you want to know if you have worms on peppers, just look for holes in the fruit. This should tell you it’s probably a worm you are dealing with.
Other pepper pests can include flea beetles and pepper weevils which chew holes in the foliage of the pepper plant. This is not good because it can eventually harm the plant, but aren’t as bad as some of the other pests mentioned.
Controlling pests with the proper pest control items is your best bet. There are a lot of pests that love the pepper plant because of its sweetness. Protect your plant and you should have a great crop of pest free peppers. Simply watch out for the signs of pest damage and make sure you use the right pest control items so you don’t chance harm to your garden, pets or family.
