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pests Pepper Porn, Plus Mealybugs

I'm growing a few varieties of peppers. Started in June, which is insane where I live. Too hot, and the bugs are running wild. But things are working out. Here's a blog entry I wrote a week or two ago, with photos.

Click to read.

Am I the only person who is fighting mealybugs? I finally decided to hit them with imidacloprin today. Suggestions would be appreciated. They don't seem impressed with sevin, malathion, esfenvalerate, bifenthrin, pyrethrin, neem oil, soap, or capsaicin.
 
Nice looking peppers! You're in Florida? Are you far enough south that, even planting in June, your peppers will have time to ripen?

That's a very official looking blog, btw.

My bugaboo this season has been stink bugs. Gak, but they've been awful! Neem knocks them back, but more fly back in to re-infest the garden. Everyone I've talked to has had trouble with them.

I suspect the problem you're having with mealy bugs isn't that the stuff you're using doesn't kill them, because it does. The problem is that they reproduce so rapidly that they re-infest from surrounding areas like my stink bugs do.

Now, I have a suggestion, but let me warn you first that it's all environmental and green and tree huggee and crunchy granola. I only bring this up because I did look at your blog and some of the comments and links. I sorta get the feeling that I should also possibly warn you that I'm a Democrat, but that would be more from the links than your blog.

Anyway, if you can establish a thriving population of ladybugs in your garden, they'll take care of any mealy bug or aphid problems you might have. And, well, it's just so cool, at least for a garden geek like me, to turn over a leaf and find an orderly clump of ladybug eggs. I cackle gleefully and announce to all aphids within earshot that their doom is upon them.
 
I appreciate the reply. I have a lot of political blogger friends but I quit doing that kind of work.

It never freezes here. Our proper growing season starts in November.
 
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