OK, OK, I stole them...

Seriously, mammals don't like hot peppers. You can even deter them by spraying your other plants with pepper juice or soapy water containing cayenne powder. Even some bugs avoid hot peppers. Ever notice how much more they go after the sweet peppers than the hot ones? Use pepper juice on your sunflower seeds in your bird feeder, and the squrrels will leave them alone.

If it were birds, they usually just peck a hole in the pod, not take the whole thing...

Two year's ago I had a mouse living in the garage who LOVED Bulgarian Carrot peppers. The pepper was potted in front of the garage and s/he harvested at least four or five. I found them tucked under a couple of boards stacked in the corner in varying degrees of consumption. I didn't have the nerve to try to trap him - I didn't want to piss him off lol! That was one tough mouse.

Anyway, I think I know where your Jals went. A fella named Guy Nextuya took 'em.

I've used pepper spray before so that's why I am baffled. Only two houses could have seen them. One behind (minister) and our good friends next door. They would ask for sure.

We have a good guard dog so not sure how someone could have got back there.

But there is no trace. Nothing half eaten etc.

Well has your dog been draggin his/her butt on the floor?

My dog wolfed a home made jal popper off someone's plate once when they weren't looking. Didn't even blink after he ate it.

There was "trace" about 20 min later but I didn't get near it.

He has also taken them off the plant and run off with them. Sometimes I'd find them.. sometimes not.

Good luck in your investigation!!

Erin

I can't help you find out who took them this year but I say, grow bhut jolokias next year and whether its the neighbours, or the animals you'll hear them scream when they eat them.

Dog can't get in because it is fenced. I just found a photo I took on the 21st and they were there so this had to happen all within a week.

Someone has been watching you garden and knows how to get in and that the dog can't get to him/her...or maybe you've been telling someone about your pepper plants? Or they might be casing the neighborhood gardens. There's a person that does that around here in the summer. It's happening all too often these days. I feel for 'ya.

My guess is it was the minister in the back yard with the garden shears.

Unless the neighbor is Professor Plum.

Chipmunks?
A couple of years ago I saw a chipmunk steal a jalapeno from one of my plants, run off with it and then come back for a second pepper moments later. I scared him off, but saw him climb up my plants several more times that day.
I came home from work the next day to find my plants totally stripped of peppers... probably 30 or so.
This was late in the growing season and I'm guessing they were stealing them to store for winter.
The curious part of all this is that just a few days before this, I saw a chipmunk take a bite out of a pepper that had fallen to the ground, and he went nuts. Jumped up & down and kept rubbing his mouth on my patio. Don't think he liked the heat, but they stripped the plants anyway.

While I do agree with a poster above in regards to mammals generally not liking hot peppers, I have also seen small mammals(in my case squirrels) ravage a plant or two. Usually they just eat the foliage in my yard, but sometimes they'll pluck a pod as well. Either one bums me out, so I act accordingly. Strategically placed rat traps (peanut butter as the bait) and sneaking around with a pellet gun (hollow point pellets) has helped me a great deal.
But in your case, I would suspect it was a person. Can you tell at all if they were cut, ripped off, or gnawed at all?

So are any of your utility meters close by? Or can the garbage guy see them. And maybe someone came to one of those houses and saw your peppers.

Alot more people move through neighbors than most people know.

I cant see anything but insects eating raw peppers. You probly got ripped off by teenagers.

actually now that I read some of the posts it is possible that it was a chipmunk or squirrel. I have a great picture of a squirrel running off with a decently sized stock of corn from my mom's backyard.

Well there is a power poll on the other side of our fence. I have seen guys working on that. But for them to get down on our side I would have seen some evidence.

I'm going to bet my money on a squirrel. I have one last summer eating nuts from the neighbors tree and a contender with a rat eating my berries. A couple weeks ago I saw a squirrel around the block.

Heard a noise the other night and saw something moving quickly. I think whatever it is we will need to have a meeting soon.

Any clues as to how the peppers were removed? Did they come off at the node or do they look like something chewed or cut the stems further down?

I grew two nice Early Jalapeno plants last year and got tons of peppers. Now I live in a wooded area with lots of wildlife around(ie, squerals, chipmunks, blue jays, pheasents, and occasonally the odd pesky neighbor)but I have NEVER lost a pepper to any creature, my guess is it was someone in your area. You'll probably soon be hearing stories about someone whom ate them.

Well I'm 99% sure it's a squirrel now. I had my Sungold cherry tomatoes stripped. Saw a little pile of skins and stems. Had a nice big green tomato cut and found it on my lawn with bites or scratches. I through it in my mulch pile and 2 days later the whole thing was gone.

I was out one evening and saw something zip by in the garden. Went too quick to see but it looked like a rat with a fuzzy tail. I will try some repellant and if that doesn't work then Elmer Fudd is going to do some hunting!

LOL Mammals are just like us, they can and do develope
a inmunity to capsicum! I have had deer totally eat
6 ft tall trinidad scorpions down to the main stem,
peppers and all! I caught them a few times in my garden,
and they leave tracks and "calling cards" all around.
I now use a electric fence to deter them. I would guess
a squirrel, coon, possum or skunk (4 legged or 2 legged!)
took em!

ButchT

chupracabra!

Squirrel Jambalaya
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00

Ingredients:

1 medium squirrel
salt and cayenne pepper
2 lg e onions - chopped
3 celery stalks - chopped
1 clove garlic - chopped
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 green pepper - chopped
4 tablespoons parsley - chopped
1 cup uncooked rice - washed
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
Louisiana Hot Sauce - to taste

Directions:

Cut squirrel into serving pieces and season well. Saute in oil until brown; remove from skillet. Saute onions, celery, garlic, green pepper and parsley in oil until wilted. Put squirrel back into skillet; cover. Cook slowly about 30 minutes or until squirrel is tender. Add rice and water. Stir thoroughly. Add salt and hot sauce; cook slowly about 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked.
Serves 4.

We have never had problems with animals eating our peppers or tomatoes, but we have a privacy fence going around our back yard, that usually keeps most animals (except cats and loose dogs) out of our yard. I would not be suprised if
it was either a neighbor or teenagers. Maybe there are people who get jealous that you have something that they dont? Has anything else recently come up missing besides your peppers? Find a system for a process of elimination and you'll be closer to the culprit.

It's time to buy or borrow a outdoor Moultrie Game digital camera. get one with a infared flash, then if it is a "people type" animal, she/he won't see it. Or set up a trip wire with some small rocks in soda cans.

Al