Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I too have had problems with all sorts eating my chillis on the bush - so can understand why chilli is not effective against many bugs. Was always funny to watch a grasshopper eating one of my habaneros or other chilli. Always wonderred whether they would have regrets when they had their next turd

As for ants, I have found that the thick mixture made from a small amount of honey and powdered yeast to be very effective in my AP system.

I suggest that perhaps these bugs are eating the LEAVES of your chilli plants ,, there is often quite a difference between leaves and fruit ....., for example the leaves of tomoto plants are poisonous to humans.
If we are spraying soft skinned caterpillers and use hot chilli's ,, yes not those supermarket ones that taste almost like capsiciums ,, yes the ones that can cause blistering on the inside of your mouth ,, then I can assure you those catapillers don't like that very much at all.

Yeah for example, birds (atleast parrots, I'm sure) find the hottest chillies merely a favourite snack! So we don't know whether its going to be uncomfortable for the insects just because it is painful to us...

Spray chillie in their eyes and see how they react!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I won't try though
(by the way I made my post in response to VB's post, not yours - so I'm not disagreeing with the caterpillar thing. Your post wasn't there when I started typing my reply...)

Oh great mods, who tirelessly work so hard, kindly delete one ef the accidental double posts if found necessary...

(I don't mean that as a 'notworthy' smilie, as it says. I mean it as a 'bowing' smiley)

Ants won't walk over a line of talcum powder - might be worth dusting the ground round the base of the growbeds at some stage.

I know that trick works for tents and caravans - should work at home.

Must smell nice where ever you are camping

Just received ~120mm (5") of rain in the last 2 days...all the talcum powder got washed away

Never tried talk on ants but it shore makes babys bums smell nice

I know a few people that can talk enough to drive ants away ,, gosh knows I've had to learn to switch off my ears.

I ment talcum