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Distorted new growth...Diagnosis: Arethroid Mites. Insecticide?
- Thread starter Roguejim
- Start date
I'm a newbie to peppers so feel free to take this with a grain of salt. Last year I lost around 50 tomato plants to herbicide damage. The herbicide came in on composted horse manure. The leaves were curled in a very similar way. Aminopyralid, clopyralid and picloram are commonly sprayed herbicides. They are used in hay fields, pastures and on grain crops, as well, so they can end up in bagged horse and cattle feed and hay. Also, clopyralid is used in some lawn applications. 2,4-D will also cause leaf curl and is in lots of home weed and feed products. Have you added any manure to your garden? Have you or any of your neighbors used any weed killers? Do you live near farmland? Have you used lawn clippings in your garden? I'm sure that some more experienced pepper people will chime in, but those pictures just looked way too familiar.
I would hVe to agree Herbacide looks exactly like that.
Roguejim said:
No. This is the work of a growth regulator herbicide like 2,4-d.
Herbicide - even if you didn't spray any, it could have been carried on the wind from a neighbor spraying.
That said, some mite damage looks like that, as well. If you can't confirm that anyone in your area sprayed herbicide, you should consider a jeweler's loupe of 30x to see if you can find mites.
That said, some mite damage looks like that, as well. If you can't confirm that anyone in your area sprayed herbicide, you should consider a jeweler's loupe of 30x to see if you can find mites.
Herbicide most likely, but I do see one aphid in pic 4, center-right. Could have mites or thrips as well.
Also, nice macro pics! What did you snap those with?
Also, nice macro pics! What did you snap those with?
Roguejim said:
FIFY
The first few photos look like they could be herbicide damage. the second few show curled down leaves which is a tell tale sign of mites. Look for dying growth tips and if you have a power magnifier, you can try to see for yourself if they are mites.
Mites are easy, just spray for them repeatedly. And just when you think you have them taken care of, spray a few more times.
Herbicide, they just have to grow out of.
geeme said:
Thanks, everyone.
I took a few leaf samples to the local Grange Co Op. Besides aphids, I have mites. I believe he call them "arethroid mites", not spider mites. What is the recommended spray? I'm not sure I care whether I go organic, or not, at this point. I'm a little panicky.
Jim, Keep us posted as to what you find out. I had the same thing happening to a lot of my plants last year, and it was always the crown of the plant where the new growth was. I thought it might be herbicide at first, but over the summer, it came a went a few times, so I am interested in seeing if you are able to fix this by spraying for these mites. It did spread from plant to plant, if I had them to close together and they were touching, so it makes sense that it might have been little critters and not a weed spray.
Bill
Bill
What you are looking for is a miticide spray. Check Lowes or HD.
Most miticides are nothing more than an emulsified oil (neem, canola, insert cool new overpriced oil here). The emulsifier (soap of some sort) keeps the oil suspended in the water and the oil smothers the mites.
In my experience, it takes more than one treatment to kill them all. Tenacious little shits.
Oh, and broad mites are the ones that do this damage.
Most miticides are nothing more than an emulsified oil (neem, canola, insert cool new overpriced oil here). The emulsifier (soap of some sort) keeps the oil suspended in the water and the oil smothers the mites.
In my experience, it takes more than one treatment to kill them all. Tenacious little shits.
Oh, and broad mites are the ones that do this damage.
Roguejim said:
I didn't see any aphids in your photos. You sure you have those?
Azamax works but it is really expensive.
The emulsified oils are contact killers. They will kill Aphids, but only if you spray them directly.
Look for the triple action chemical Miticide, insecticide, fungicide. Should be less than $20 for a concentrated bottle that makes many many gallons of spray.
Here is one I have that works fine. One bottle makes 16 gallons of spray.
70% neem oil.
The guy at the Grange Co Op spotted aphids. I have a product called GardenSafe 3-in-1. I don't have it in front of me, so I don't know what type of oil it contains.Jeff H said:I didn't see any aphids in your photos. You sure you have those?
Azamax works but it is really expensive.
The emulsified oils are contact killers. They will kill Aphids, but only if you spray them directly.
Look for the triple action chemical Miticide, insecticide, fungicide. Should be less than $20 for a concentrated bottle that makes many many gallons of spray.Here is one I have that works fine. One bottle makes 16 gallons of spray.
70% neem oil.
There is an aphid in photo 4 just above and right of center. If there is one on the top of a leaf, there will be a dozen on the bottom.
Careful with the oil based products in the heat, they can do a number on your plants if summer is on full blast. Apply in the evening.
I think there may be a predator mite or nematode or something that attacks the bad mites. Can't find it right now, but I'll dig deeper if I can remember.
Careful with the oil based products in the heat, they can do a number on your plants if summer is on full blast. Apply in the evening.
I think there may be a predator mite or nematode or something that attacks the bad mites. Can't find it right now, but I'll dig deeper if I can remember.
If you haven't sprayed the plants with anything yet, you might consider a biological solution instead. Green lacewing larvae eat both mites and aphids, as well as a variety of other insects and their eggs. However, if you've already sprayed, the spray would kill them, too. I get beneficial insects from buglogical.com, but there are other providers out there, too. I found my first hatched green lacewing larvae yesterday - the whiteflies will rue the day they went after my plants!