pests Aphid Control

SgtPeppers · Apr 10, 2014

Yesterday morning, I discovered some tiny white bumps on the underside of some large pepper leaves. I cut one off to examine it closer and hurried off to work. When I came home, I looked closely at my plants and noticed one of them had some new friends:

Picture Source: http://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/aphid-ecology-and-management/

They were a little darker than the one in the photo, but I know an aphid when I see one.

I took all my plants into the tub and soaked them for about 5 minutes above soil level, and made sure to spray off all the leaves. I went a little overboard with my homemade insecticide spray but for now it seems to be working and the plants do not look stressed at all. Here is my recipe.

32oz water
1 tsp fish emulsion/ seaweed fertlizer
1 tsp epsom salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp castile soap
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

I shook it all up, sprayed the bottoms of leaves, drenched the plant on top, and misted the soil down too. It seems to be working at the moment. I do not see any more aphids this morning and I will report back over the next couple days.

Penny · Apr 10, 2014

fricking aphids!!

TrentL · Apr 10, 2014

After trying every spray I could - with the exception of actual pesticide (afraid of the effect permethryn would have on our cats)... I gave up on sprays.

I bought ladybugs. LOTS of lady bugs.

The first two batches were killed off en-masse by my curly CFL lights. Seems the ladybugs like to crawl up in them and sleep at night. Then when the timer kicks in the next day, they die horrible deaths and get cooked.

So I used a roll of screen (for repairing screen doors/windows), and a stapler, and made cages for my CFL lights. Also sealed off the room to prevent mass migration away from the plants.

Three days after the last release, the aphids were gone. Started feeding the ladybugs w/ artificial ladybug food, to keep them around.

So far the ecosystem seems in check.

One side effect though;

When I took my overwinters out yesterday for some sun, and brought them in, the ladybug food dust on the leaves attracted EVERY sort of winged predator in the wild. Bees. Wasps. Hornets. Etc.

My plants were literally covered by a swarm of biting/stinging insects by the time they were ready to come back in. Which made life VERY interesting.

Tried as we did to get all of the stinging ones off the plants, I spent two hours last night collecting wasps and bees from the plants we'd brought back indoors. In an 8x12 grow room with nowhere to run, it was quite the tongue in cheek experience. Having one wasp land on your face while you are trying to collect another one, and remaining patient until it flies away, was quite the gut check.

Chewi · Apr 10, 2014

TrentL said:
The first two batches were killed off en-masse by my curly CFL lights. Seems the ladybugs like to crawl up in them and sleep at night. Then when the timer kicks in the next day, they die horrible deaths and get cooked.

SgtPeppers · Apr 10, 2014

Penny said:
fricking aphids!!

They drive me nuts! I didn't know what they were last year and one of my infested Bhuts was severely stunted. I was armed and ready this go around.

TrentL said:
After trying every spray I could - with the exception of actual pesticide (afraid of the effect permethryn would have on our cats)... I gave up on sprays.

I bought ladybugs. LOTS of lady bugs.

The first two batches were killed off en-masse by my curly CFL lights. Seems the ladybugs like to crawl up in them and sleep at night. Then when the timer kicks in the next day, they die horrible deaths and get cooked.

So I used a roll of screen (for repairing screen doors/windows), and a stapler, and made cages for my CFL lights. Also sealed off the room to prevent mass migration away from the plants.

Three days after the last release, the aphids were gone. Started feeding the ladybugs w/ artificial ladybug food, to keep them around.

So far the ecosystem seems in check.

One side effect though;

When I took my overwinters out yesterday for some sun, and brought them in, the ladybug food dust on the leaves attracted EVERY sort of winged predator in the wild. Bees. Wasps. Hornets. Etc.

My plants were literally covered by a swarm of biting/stinging insects by the time they were ready to come back in. Which made life VERY interesting.

Tried as we did to get all of the stinging ones off the plants, I spent two hours last night collecting wasps and bees from the plants we'd brought back indoors. In an 8x12 grow room with nowhere to run, it was quite the tongue in cheek experience. Having one wasp land on your face while you are trying to collect another one, and remaining patient until it flies away, was quite the gut check.

HAHAHA, sorry for your luck, but that makes for one heck of a story! I was going to consider ladybugs but it appears everything is still under control. I just wish hydrolyzed fish smelled better. Blehhhh.

pests Aphid Control

SgtPeppers

Penny

TrentL

Chewi

SgtPeppers