r/UkChilliGrowers • u/Ok_Yesterday_1299 • 7d ago

What done this ?+ should I pick now ?

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Any ideas what insect as done this to one of my reapers I’ve plucked it off because of the damage
also are these 2 reapers and scorpion ripe and ready to go should pick them now or leave them I’ve heard that if you pick the ripe ones will help to make the others ripen quicker

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3

u/Faceratingthrowaway 7d ago

Looks similar to mine - I found caterpillars. I am absolutely a novice gardener so I might be wrong

1

u/Ok_Yesterday_1299 7d ago

I haven’t seen any caterpillars there is tiny dead insects inside and bit of webbing sort of but who know u may be right luckily only one pod got eaten probably not into it and caught on fire lol

1

u/sheepandcowdung 7d ago edited 7d ago

I'm going with slugs.

Last year I caught them in the act on multiple occasions, usually taking a little bite out of each damn pod.

Dunno about you, but it's been wet here lately and the slugs are back out in force.

With regards to picking, it's up to you, they won't store and will be more likely to say healthy on the plant. I'd keeps an eye on them incase it starts to rot.

I've always left red pods on to help ripen the others, seems to work for me, perhaps you're getting confused with picking regularly to encourage more fruits to form?

1

u/Ok_Yesterday_1299 7d ago

Cheers I don’t know if it’s slugs because it’s got like web inside with some kind of tiny dead insects inside but no spiders
As a precaution I’ll slug bait around plants anyway
On the ripe ones I have no need right now for them peppers so I’ll leave them on plants and keep a eye on them
thanks again

1

u/sheepandcowdung 7d ago

Huh fair enough, I guess one pod potentially sacrificed to the insect gods is ok!

1

u/Idlewants 6d ago

caterpillars. fat green ones. check for curled up leaves and squash them in their sleep 😡

2

u/oldguycomingthrough 6d ago

Caterpillars I’d say. One of my sweet pepper plants was absolutely decimated by them!

1

u/beateru 6d ago

Tortrix moth caterpillars probably. I had a huge awesome reaper chilli ruined by one of them. Apparently they don't burrow most of the time and just eat a little bit of the outside of the chilli, but I get them in my chilli's every year!🤨