Strange beetles chewing my chillies

Honey Badger · Sep 3, 2018

Does anybody have a clue what are these?

I wasn't vigilant last few months, didn't spray Neem or looked much after the plants beyong feeding and watering and it looks like I have an infestation.

I discovered them few days ago and started spraying neem+soap in hope they'll go away.

CAPCOM · Sep 3, 2018

Wow!!!

NIbbles · Sep 3, 2018

looks like either potato beetles or flea beetles to me

NIbbles · Sep 3, 2018

If there has not been much rain they are most likely flea beetles. You can constantly water /spray the leaves or add kaolin clay around the plant. If you do use a spray I make a soapy water with 1-2 tbs of vinegar.

Honey Badger · Sep 3, 2018

Thanks Nibbles. I started spraying neem/dish soap solution last couple of days. That cluster of larvae l discovered today. And oedema too.

floricole · Sep 3, 2018

this is stink bug eggs and juvenile stink bugs – called nymphs

Bicycle808 · Sep 3, 2018

Yup. Those are stankers. We hate them.

CAPCOM · Sep 3, 2018

I got them this year as well. The remedy just come today USPS.

Honey Badger · Sep 4, 2018

Shall I just sprinkle some of the Kaolin clay around the base of the plant or do I mix it with water? How does this thing works on bugs?

solid7 · Sep 9, 2018

You have a wicked whitefly infestation under those stink bugs, too. That white crud in your last picture is whitefly. They are a royal bitch to deal with. Suggest you get started right away, and know that it's gonna take a few weeks to completely eradicate them. At which point, you'll want some sort of preventative. Whether that's chemical or biological, is up to you.

Honey Badger · Sep 13, 2018

solid7 said:
You have a wicked whitefly infestation under those stink bugs, too. That white crud in your last picture is whitefly. They are a royal bitch to deal with. Suggest you get started right away, and know that it's gonna take a few weeks to completely eradicate them. At which point, you'll want some sort of preventative. Whether that's chemical or biological, is up to you.

My season is nearly over and it looks like I have a decent crop still to harvest, whitefly or not. I was spraying neem/soap solution on regular basis and still a lot of pests but my harvest was OK.

I will make semi-arsed attempt to overwinter some plants as in, I'll place them next to the house on raised pallets and if they survive the winter, they'll get another go at producing.

I don't even know where to start eradicating whitefly.

solid7 · Sep 13, 2018

Honestly, with that level of infestation, I might just sulfur dust them.

Honey Badger · Sep 13, 2018

solid7 said:
Honestly, with that level of infestation, I might just sulfur dust them.

What level of infestation? That was only one leaf of one plant a while ago.

I'm actually right now spraying all my plants with soap and oil and they seem whitefly free. Few small stink bugs here and there but recent kaolin clay washes seem to have worked to reduce population and subsequent damage.

solid7 · Sep 13, 2018

Typically, if you have one leaf that looks like that, there's plenty more. Whitely don't just occupy one single leaf.

But if you've got it under control, all good.

Honey Badger · Sep 13, 2018

solid7 said:
Typically, if you have one leaf that looks like that, there's plenty more. Whitely don't just occupy one single leaf.

But if you've got it under control, all good.

There was a period of couple hottest months when I didn't maintain pest control at all and allowed major stink bug infestation to happen. They chewed young shoots and when I noticed them I started spraying neem and kaolin clay.

This is my nemesis:

Please don't tell me is beneficial. I'm spraying everything with soap/oil and after that I'll give everybody a kaolin clay bath. I'll repeat this in few days again.

Honey Badger · Sep 13, 2018

Honey Badger said:
There was a period of couple hottest months when I didn't maintain pest control at all and allowed major stink bug infestation to happen. They chewed young shoots and when I noticed them I started spraying neem and kaolin clay.

This is my nemesis:

bug.jpg

Please don't tell me is beneficial. I'm spraying everything with soap/oil and after that I'll give everybody a kaolin clay bath. I'll repeat this in few days again.

Could this be an adult version of the bug from the picture above?

Markings are similar.

nmlarson · Sep 13, 2018

Honey Badger said:
There was a period of couple hottest months when I didn't maintain pest control at all and allowed major stink bug infestation to happen. They chewed young shoots and when I noticed them I started spraying neem and kaolin clay.

This is my nemesis:

bug.jpg

Please don't tell me is beneficial. I'm spraying everything with soap/oil and after that I'll give everybody a kaolin clay bath. I'll repeat this in few days again.

No, not a beneficial, but I had to go a Googlin' to try to identify it, as that doesn't look like any stink bug I've seen. It appears to be a Southern Green Stink Bug, the third instar nymph.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/southern_green_stink_bug.htm#action

Honey Badger · Sep 13, 2018

nmlarson said:
No, not a beneficial, but I had to go a Googlin' to try to identify it, as that doesn't look like any stink bug I've seen. It appears to be a Southern Green Stink Bug, the third instar nymph.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/southern_green_stink_bug.htm#action

Thank you!

Honey Badger · Sep 13, 2018

Ringo, my least favourite Beatle after being sprayed with a good Neem oil solution:

Bicycle808 · Sep 13, 2018

Fuck'mup!!!