Need to identify the problem in order to know what, if anything, to use. See the link below on Common Pepper Pests. A photo of the damage or at least detailed description of the type of damage you are seeing would be of great help.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Common Pepper Pests

Went out tonight to do some other work. I had put a board
in the raised bed, so I turned it over and saw what I believe are slugs--slimy things about half an inch long. They were scurrying all over the place. I squashed a lot of them. I didn't think they had anything to do with peppers, but examined my hostas, because I know they do a lot of dirt to them and it looks like the same kind of damage. I had some diatamaceous (sp?) earth, so I spread that all around the plants. I did not find them listed as pepper pests, but I tried anyway. - Barb

If they were "scurrying" then they weren't slugs. Slugs are, well, sluggish... slow...slooooowwwww.

Now you got me worried. They were hiding under the board, and when I was reading some material the other day on slugs, it said to either put out a board or wet newspaper and then go out the next day and either squash them or burn the newspaper. They are soft bodied, seems and I thought the "d" earth would cut them and do away with them. They are sort of "putty" looking. I simply do not know much about the various bugs. Guess I must have made the wrong assumption. Oh, well, will keep trying. By the time I figure them out, they will have killed all of the pepper plants, I suppose. Barb

Well, soft bodied sounds like slugs, but as I was saying, slugs aren't known for being fast movers, so if they're quickly running away from you, it's likely that they're something else. ;) If you Google images of slugs, is that what you're seeing? If so, there are many ways to get rid of them, but the easiest (for me) is to sprinkle around some slug pellets, like Sluggo.

If you have a way of taking pictures of them, it'll be easier to figure out just what they are.

Barb - describe in detail the damage you are seeing on the pepper plants.

Dave

Dave, went out tonight and thought I would bottle up one of those dudes and take it down to the extension office, but could not find one. I have a camera but don't know how to do them with the computer. Could get my dtr-in-law to do it but by then, the additional dirt could be done. They have holes in the leaves, and the whole plant sort of droops down instead of the leaves reaching up. Darndest thing I have ever seen, but from reading these posts, I am not the only one to be having troubles. Noticed tonight that some of my green beans are sort of shriveling up. I don't know what to put on them because I don't like to spray anything. You will probably say that I shouldn't be having a garden then. I love my butterflies and beneficials besides having had a melanoma some years ago. Makes me leery. Thanks for paying attention to my complaints. Barb

I definitely do NOT think that that means you shouldn't have a garden. In fact, I think everybody should have one - you included! :) Everybody has pests to deal with, and Gardenweb is a good place to start the process of figuring out not only what sorts of critters you have, but what to do about them.

Did your creatures look anything like these guys (perhaps smaller)?

{{gwi:76491}}

get some copper strapping from the plumbing section of the hardware store, form a circle around each plan base. Slugs will not cross. Or better yet, wrap the bands around your raised beds and they won't get in period :)

Diatomaceous earth will only control pests with an exoskeleton.