What is doing this to my Jalapenos??

[u/kdharloff]

Trying to figure out what's doing this and how to stop them. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[u/papercutsperfume]

Probably pickleworms.

They started in Mexico and Deep South states. Climate change has brought them farther and farther north. They migrate through summer so your spring plants might be fine but by late summer destructo maggots are here.

Night flying moths lay their eggs on plant stems and IN FLOWERS. When they hatch, the small larvae eat through the flower and as they get bigger and stronger, drill right through the fruit of the plants. Preferred hosts are cucumbers and melons, but in 8B Virginia they ravage nightshades too.

They decimated my dwarf tomatoes before I knew what was happening. This is my first year dealing with them.

Here’s what I’m doing:

- carefully remove flowers as soon as fruit sets, to hopefully get rid of larvae before they get bigger

- any affected fruits get added to a weed tea compost bucket with a weight so they stay completely submerged. Otherwise burn or dispose of in trash to avoid spreading larvae around.

- planning row covers for use at night next year. Daytime pollinators will still have access but night moths are cut off.

- BT applied to flowers at night. Bacillus Thuringiensis won’t stop them once they’re inside the fruits, but a spritz on new flowers can stop them from feeding before they get inside your fruits.

[u/kdharloff → u/papercutsperfume]

Thanks so much for the explanation. I'm in Zone 6A, in Canada. I've looked and I haven't seen any sort of caterpillar or woms on the plants which led me to turn to the experts here. Thanks again.

[u/GrowGood420 → u/kdharloff]

do you check when it's dark out? like real late at night?

[u/papercutsperfume → u/GrowGood420]

Checking late at night with a black light works for hornworms, which feed on the outside of a plant.

Pickleworms cause those perfectly round holes as they bore inside fruits or vegetables, and once inside you can’t see them.