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pests Aphids and honeydew all over my young red pepper plants !

Turbota

Turbota

I have 2 red pepper plants that are now about 1 foot high planted in a pot out in my enclosed patio. I purchased these from Home Depot about 3 weeks ago (I live in southern Florida).
 
2 days ago I checked on them, they were healthy and in perfect condition ... Well, today I go out there only to find all the leaves and the stems (basically the whole plant covered with aphids and that sticky 'honeydew' all over them. I couldn't believe how they could get covered in all these aphids in just 2 days!
 
Well, I basically freaked-out and sprayed them down with a strong bug killer ... Malathion / water mix 
 
I noticed that after only 30 minutes, none of these nasty aphids are moving anymore, so I guess they are DEAD now.
 
My questions is:
 
1. Will the malathion kill the pepper plants? ... Should I now wash all this malathion off the plants with the water hose before the malathion kills the plants too?
 
2. How do I keep these aphids from coming back?
 
3. How could these aphids all get on my plants within that short of a period of time? (there are no other plants on my patio besides some potted palms ... and the patio and pool is screened in like they do here in southern Florida)
 
Thanks for any and all info :)
 
 
BTW ... Last year it was 'white flies' that attacked my red chili plants ... Now this year, it's aphids!
 
 
 
 
 
1. Maybe. and yes.
2. Pray.
3. Eggs hatched in your potted plants.
 
As a preventative, raise predatory bugs (lady bugs my fave----cheap)
 
Pyretherin is my goto bug spray.
Doesn't persist in the plant.
 
Eggs hatched in your potted plants.
______________________________________
 
So, I guess the aphid eggs where already on my plants when I bought them from Home Depot?
 
Not necessarily. But yeah, HD doesn't sell lady bugs but your "mom and pop" garden center should.
Armstrong Garden center here in CA has live lady bugs in a 1500 count container for $9.
Last time I saw aphids on my plants, I sprinkled about 200 per plant.
Killed every aphid on them.

Dave
 
i feel ya. i got them white fly problems down here in miami....it's no fun. luckily they like my guava more than they liked my tomatoes and peppers compared to last year
 
The white flies pretty much ruined my red pepper plants last year ... The bottom of all the leaves were covered with this white cotton looking stuff.
 
As far as my aphid problem ... These 2 pepper plants must have been full of aphid eggs when I bought them, even though they looked perfect to me.
 
I just can't see how they could go from no aphids to being completely covered with them in just 2 days ... again my pool area where the pepper plants are located is inside the screened pool area. I just can't believe all these aphids just flew onto the pepper plants from outside all within a 2 day period of time ... I'm not buying that
 
Well, the aphids are all dead now from the malathian and I washed off the leaves real good with a fine spray of water ... all that sticky 'honeydew' is gone now too. The leaves look ok, but all of them are hanging pointed straight downward .... I hope I didn't kill the 2 plants. I guess I will know by morning.
 
Keep them in a well shaded area until they perk back up. I hate aphids I hear there born preagnant. They multiply quick.
Fortunately with my little OCD I inspect all my plants daily and smash any aphids by hand.
Once the plants get larger I let nature do its thing.
The lady bugs and lace wings always will come once aphid populations start to grow. I rarely have to use much neem oil to knock back the aphids till the predators arrive.
I wish you the best.
 
Lovepeppers ....
 
Well, that strong solution of malathion certain killed these aphids quick ... but now I need to keep these aphids from coming back. I don't want to use that malathion again if at all possible ...
 
 
Question > Maybe I should go buy some Neem Oil and spray it on the leaves maybe once a week just to keep the whiteflies and aphids from coming back? (preventative measure)
 
Had an aphid problem this last month as well. Killed all my young seedlings. No survivors. But restarted them and I see them coming back. Been spraying them with soapy water every day or so. I too need something more guaranteed. Gonna look into malathion. Thanks for sharing your experience.
 
If there is any way you can put a temporary bug tent around them and release lady bug larvae, they absolutely crush the aphids.
 
A systemic insecticide will keep aphids away for months at a time. Very very easily. If your growing indoors you don't have to worry about it killing bees etc
 
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