Perhaps it's your sacrificial plant which will protect the others?

Last year I had some kritters that only ate certain peppers,actually opened up the pods and took the seeds out and left the pod.Mostly my sweet peppers.Especially the Italian Gourmet variety.
Thaught it might be mice.
I put out mouse traps and caught 2 birds.The seed eating ended.
Beetles can lay eggs in the buds when they first make pods and the holes are the grub hatching and digging out.
But I'd think they would get your whole crop.

Smoke,

Do you happen to know what kind of birds you caught? Just curious. I'm wondering if I have the same pepper bandit on this coast.

Rick

jean: that's how I'm treating it at the moment, but I'd love to get at least a pepper or two for seed saving purposes.

Smokemaster: given your beetle info coupled with the empty shells of the only two peppers that have gotten to any decent size, perhaps some beetle bags are in order. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any this year which is odd around here perhaps they're all enjoying the buffet I inadvertently set out for them.

Thanks for the heads up, we'll see if I can reverse the damage before the season ends.

I had the same problem with my Florida Wild and was worried that I wouldnt have seed.But luckily for me,the plant got 100's of peppers and either I dont notice any more missing or they arent eating anymore of those peppers. good luck
Kevin