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pests Pepper maggot flies

V

Vegjohn

Hi everyone,
Last year's bell peppers all had holes. Suspected pepper maggot fly. This year I actually see the flies in the garden, infuriating. I have tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, etc... but my main focus is peppers this year so it's especially disheartening. Any advice how to kill the flies before they lay their eggs? I have permethrin spray but I'm hesitant to use it as I've read it can kill beneficial bugs such as bees as well.
 
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HellfireFarm said:
Try spinosad, it supposedly works per https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/pepper-maggot-damage-detection-monitoring-and-management/
And it's much less problematic than permethrin (which also isn't recommended for pepper maggots). For adults, it looks like "yellow sticky-traps baited with a vial of 28% ammonium hydroxide" works (hang in nearby trees about 20' up) - that's going to be a specialized product though.
Click to expand...



I agree.

Spinosad: The First Selective, Broad-Spectrum Insecticide | Integrated Pest Management

What do you want out of an insecticide? If you could design an insecticide with the best possible features, for use on your farm, around your family, what c ...
ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu
 
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HellfireFarm said:
Try spinosad, it supposedly works per https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/pepper-maggot-damage-detection-monitoring-and-management/
And it's much less problematic than permethrin (which also isn't recommended for pepper maggots). For adults, it looks like "yellow sticky-traps baited with a vial of 28% ammonium hydroxide" works (hang in nearby trees about 20' up) - that's going to be a specialized product though.
Click to expand...
I actually have a bottle of this:

https://captainjacks.com/product/captain-jacks-dbb-rts/

which is apparently Spinosad A and D (hopefully one of those covers these flies?).

Will give it a shot. Thanks!
 
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Pepper fly victim 7-6-24.JPG



Didn't work. It claimed its first victim. Pepper was properly disposed of. Hoping if I can catch most of them before they chew their way out maybe I can put a dent in the population for next year... but doubtful.
 
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I don't know of any control that's one and done - you won't get them all and those that remain will continue to reproduce. They're also usually not effective on all stages - eggs, larvae, and adults will have different sensitivities.

Insect control is an ongoing thing.

Maybe try some DE, too. I read that can help with these some too.
 
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