Dude... damn. Thats just horrible. I feel your pain.
Its so hard to see this when all your hard work goes down the tubes in one shot. Your emotions go everywhere when this happens.

I believe it could be some kind or vermin... rat, squirrel maybe coon.The 3rd chewed up picture reminds me of how the squirrels eat the fruit. But that much damage would be more rat style in my opinion.

Are you by a wooded area? How big was the hole in the plastic?

Sorry for your loss.

Mice, rats, or a squirrel.

Never saw that before, sucks! Try this link:

Some animal with jagged teeth is eating my green peppers...

I feel your pain!! (half my crop was spent raising grasshoppers) It is just horrible. Hate to say it but, speaking of fruit flies.... With all that exposed flesh, clean up well and keep your eyes open..

I doubt its a bird(s) they probably would have gone for hots and sweets. Mammal for sure. IMHO.

dj

Ughhhhh..

I second : Mice, rats, or a squirrel.

Thanks for the replys. this afternoon I was in shock, and yes, the culprit must be an animal without a doubt, I now have done my best to keep them out, but quite frankly, I can't blame them for chowing down, most were red ripe.

when "Farming" we can't count the chickens till they are hatched and grown
night folks---Bob

I lost some to chickens this year. They put more of a slit in the peppers LOL . But the did do similar damage to a few of my 7pod primos. It seems birds are not effected by capsicum. Its a mammal. Problem is I love chickens as much as peppers and had no choice but to show forgiveness. My Primos are at a friends in pots growing in isolation for seed ,just so happen he has chickens. They even helped me top a few early on , a thing I had no intention of doing. Still my plants are going the give me the seed I want and the chickens are giving the eggs I want. No heat in the eggs ether, would have been nice to have a preheated omelet.

Wow Bob... I feel for you. That's crappy. It might be an insect. I had a hornworm do similar damage to a bhut. But, in my case, somehow I bagged the hornworm when I bagged the blossoms, he didn't start eating the fruit until he'd eaten all the foliage, but he put a similar hole in my bhut. I have a ton of house sparrows that are living in my garden (and I mean about 30), but they seem to be more interested in my tomatoes than peppers.

You need to get out there in the night and look around. I had a lot of damage a couple of years ago in my greenhouse, I am not sure if it was the lizard I found in there or if it was the crickets.

I don't think mice or rats. One fall I had a mouse problem, the damn things removed the fruit off the plants and moved it into the corner of the greenhouse. While cleaning I found a big pile of peppers. They didn't touch the fruit other than removing it from the plant.

Pam

Birds?

I vote birds. They did a number on my habaneros too.

What a mess! I know how I'd feel if this happen in my garden. I was thinking Roof Rat, but for sure some kind of rodent.

Sorry to see all your hard work destroyed!!
I agree that some small animal has been feeding on your peppers.

Raccoons, skunks, rabbits, rats, porcupines

I'd suspect a small rodent over a bird; birds wouldn't discriminate against the hots, they don't have the appropriate receptors in their mouths for the capsaicin to affect them. In fact, a great way to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder is to mix habañero seeds into your bird seed. Birds will merrily eat everything, squirrels will quickly move on to a less painful bird feeder in your neighbor's yard ;)

t-bob says : " It has thus far only been the sweet ones," so squirrels and other small animals would eat them, including rodents.

Definitely some small rodent - though I'm surprised since they're in pots. But you said there were only small slits in the plastic so a raccoon wouldn't have been able to get in.

I've got something - probably voles - nibbling on mine too, they tried some long hot (saved seed, might be Hot Portugal) and a couple of Hinkelhatz but they were definitely going for the sweets - esp. any that were turning orange/red. Plus the tomatoes - of course only the heirloom beefsteaks, not the little ones.