I got worms eating my jalapeno chile and green pepper seeds!

[abcampa]

Any one know of a way to rid of these insects that eat at the seeds.
They are really small worms like little maggots.

I found the worms because after a while I noticed that the plant wasnt growing so I looked for the seed and found the worms eating it.

Help please!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Just the seeds?

Stumped here; anyone else have a cure?

[rrrbs29]

HUbby said its cut worms(maggot looking things). Maybe try using treated seeds. He also said they used sevin dust on fields before they planted the seeds. The sevin dust was worked into the ground before the farmers planted thier seeds. (Grandma applied her wood stove ashes to her garden in the winter and worked it into the ground in the spring to get rid of cut worms and nematodes).

[The Helpful Gardener]

Sevin? YIKES!

I like Grandma's solution much better and I already do it to my peppers to sweeten the soil (Makes 'em hotter too, I think... )

HG

[rrrbs29]

I know what you mean, but I was referring to commercial farmers. I am sorry, but I sprinkled some sevin dust on my tomatoes cause the little or rather fat green tomatoe worms were very much enjoying my plants. They aren't any more!

[opabinia51]

The sure fire way to rid your garden of any sort of pest that has gotten out of control is to a) build healthy, biologically active soil
b) not plant your plants in a monocrop style
c) Use companion planting and integrated planting

With healthy biologically active soil, the beneficial microbes and other fauna will vastly out number any pathogens or pests and keep the pathogens and pests in check. Also, the plants will be extremely healthy be be able to fight off any infection or infestations.

What you can do in the short term is spray your plants with an aerobic copost tea. This inoculation of beneficial microbes and nematodes will start a healthy population of this great fauna on your plant surfaces and they will eat and digest all the bad guys that are causing your grief.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Here's some of the stuff they DON'T tell you about carbaryl (active ingredient in Sevin)

[url]https://www.dontspraycalifornia.org/carbarylog.htm[/url]

Just because it's available DOESN'T mean it's safe, people!

Scott