Sounds like slugs/snails. There are numerous ways to control, but the simplest is going down to the garden center and picking up some iron phosphate pellets.

Kevin

thank you. do they also eat the hot pepper plants planted and growing since this summer

deliah: Maybe seedlings of pepper plants, but don't do much harm to mature ones. In that case, it's probably caterpillars -- most likely hornworms.

For those, you want to inspect the plant very carefully for large green caterpillars. If you find any, dispose of by squishing or dropping in soapy water. If you find any that look like the one in the link below, clip off a piece of branch and move to another part of the yard. Those white sacs are parasitic wasp pupae which attack caterpillars.

You may want to pick up some BT from the Nursery and use as directed. I would start on a one week schedule for a couple weeks. Completely organic and safe. Great stuff!

Here is a link that might be useful: hornworm pic parasitized

Slugs and snails do harm to small plants and seedlings. Sometimes, they can eat THE WHOLE THING.

there are several ways to combat them:

1-- hand picking and destroying. This , i have found to be the most effective one. But you have to go out after dark or in a rainy cloudy day.
2- -- use various slug products .. There are maybe half a dozen brands sold at HD, Lowes....

3- BT: I have not use it my self.

Once the plants are established, I just let it go.

Seysonn: BT for slugs???

I think not. BT controls CATERPILLARS only.

Kevin

Silvery trails spell gastropods to me. They will eat absolutely anything under the right (wrong?) circumstances. But it is true their preference is for the young and tender.

Deliah, the silvery trails are the indicators of slugs or snails. But there's no reason why your plants couldn't be attacked by more than one pest.

You'll need to search for the caterpillars. For some reason, as big as they are, they manage to "hide in plain sight". Look for them and remove, if you find any.

Kevin, if the cocoons have appeared on the caterpillar, there is no need to bother about moving it. At that point, the caterpillar is as good as dead, probably not even eating anymore. The parasitoids have already done their damage, devouring the host from the inside.

Once the tiny larvae are ready to pupate, they evacuate the carcass to spin their cocoons. From there, they will leave as adults.

Thanks Rhizo. I know I can leave it to you to better educate me(and the rest of us).

I'm getting better, though. No?

;)

Kevin

Seysonn: BT for slugs???

I think not. BT controls CATERPILLARS only.

Kevin
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Kevin .... As I said, I have not used it my self. I might have heard it wrong.

But I have my own mixture:

-- used coffee ground
-- pavers sand
-- saw dust ,
-- paRtially ground egg shell

• some broken slugo type bait.
  You can sprinkle some sand first then the mixture. This way it will stay dryer better. With this mixture I can be generous. Since it is not costly.
  AND IT WORKS JUST AS GOOD AS PLAIN SLUGO... THEY RUN BLEEDING TO DEATH.