Can this one little guy have caused all this damage just today feasting on this plant? I just went over them all yesterday and this wasn’t there. Other than physical removal, how do I best deal with them?
Yep. They eat their weight every day. If you see one, then there are more. Do you happen to be in Ontario? Moths just hatched and have tons here in Southern Ontario. I have a day of rain so I am going to BT and neem my plants as I know they will be laying their eggs on them. Kill them and check in morning and evening as they are usually hanging off a leaf and can be easily seen. Hard to see when they are feeding... blend right in.
if you go in after light s out,with a flashlight ,you will see how bad they really are,bt is what you need and soak the soil too,i give a 3 gal pot about 2 cups of water with bt in it,before it even runs out the pot the worms are heading out of pot.
remember this is you see one,most likely you already have a problem,same as roaches,when you see them in day light,you got a over population,that little worm right there will wipe your gear out in a matter of a couple days