Something is eating my hot pepper plants

[fisherj]

I have about four dozen hot pepper plants of various varieties in my garden. During the last week, two of them (one jalepeno and one cayenne) have been bitten off just below the top, roughly six inches off the ground. In both cases the top was left on the ground next to them without being eaten.

Does anybody have any ideas as to what the culprit might be?


Jim Fisher

[GaryM]

Anyone in your family not like hot peppers? [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[fisherj]

Gary,

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Anyone in your family not like hot peppers?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that I know of. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

My wife and I make salsa when the Roma tomatoes are in season and sometimes it's hard to find hot peppers locally. We also make pickled jalapenos.

I replanted the peppers yesterday, along with some others that I lost due to recognizable problems - cut worms and a couple of plants that were just too weak. Both nights that the tops were severed the dogs were in the house. No tracks, so it isn't a deer.

[GaryM]

Well, then I guess I'm clueless, but that's not too unusual!

[Molerj]

Birds have been know to do that. They also pull out the corn. I place about 6 or so rubber snakes in the garden &amp; don't seem to have the problems anymore.

[athansor]

My chile plants have been attacked by rabbits. Do rubber snakes also keep those away?

[Molerj]

The snakes don't work on the other plants. In fact, I had to put up the electric fence today because someone has started to nibble on the cabbage &amp; beans. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

[JazzDad]

My sister-in-law reports that after spending the day planting annuals in her flower bed, the next morning every bloom was snipped off and laying on the ground next to the plant. The county agent told her the deer did it. They must not like the taste, but did they have to bite off every one? [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] Sis said it looked very sad, like rows of soldiers informed that leave was canceled.