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Pepper Plants Getting Devastated

C

cmpman1974

Are these aphids? My plants are taking a real pounding. Bugs all over the leaves and it appears to be stopping new growth and most likely destroying everything. Sad.

I tried spraying a soap/water solution, but it did nothing. I will NEVER EVER bring in overwintered plants in my house again. Not worth it at all. :( They are not there now, but I think the damage was done. Or, I could've picked up contaminated potting soil at my local nursery. Either way, I'm screwed!

Chris

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Sorry to hear about that. I'm not sure if they're aphids or not. I'll wait for the experts to arrive....

But my (fake) advice is to lock that plant up alone in a room with a giant ladybug and see how fat she gets!
 
I'm trying to figure out how. Any ideas? I don't have ladybugs and can't get them quick enough to take care of the issue probably.
 
Aphids are easy to kill. You can go with Neem, soapy water, pyrethrins, Safer Soap, or something stronger. You can also put them in th sink or bathtub and wash the nasty buggers off, or go leaf by leaf and squish 'em. The trick is to spray/rinse/squish more than once, because they will come back.
 
Chris, that is the worst infestation I think I have ever seen, what are your plans for extermination? How many of your plants look like that one? I don't think you could even get ladybugs right now.

Dale
 
Damn, they really took over quickly:(
The little buggers are hard to totally get rid of. I find pyrethrum works best, but I still rotate between soaps, oils, and pyrethins
Edit: I've bought ladybugs in the winter many times, but I recommend heavy artillery here.
 
Same thing happened to me. I brought in a couple of plants to overwinter and didn't give them a thorough enough going prior to bringing them in.

Somebody here tipped me off to keep an eye out for them and sure enough they showed. At first I would spend about five or ten minutes every couple of days going over the plants and squishing them with my fingers. You can tell when you get a fat one your fingers get sticky. I got tired of that and eventually got a bottle of Safer brand insect killer. It has an insecticidal soap and botanical pyrethrins that do the job. But like Pam says you need to go back and do it again a few days later to kill the newly hatched ones.

I'm still finding them (aphids) on occasion but their numbers are dwindling. I'm pretty certain that the damage they're causing now is minimal.

I wouldn't give up just yet cmpman1974 I know you can whup 'em. Good luck!
 
Patrick,

I actually found a bottle of Safer Insect Killing Soap concentrate in my basement. I sprayed my plants earlier today. It's organic and approved for inside plants, but I HATE using chemicals in a basement. I'll see how it works.

Dale, yeah you aren't kidding! These things came out of nowhere. They are not all that bad, but the C. Pubescens are really getting attacked badly. I wish I knew the source. I'm 'assuming' it's the overwintered plants, but....

By the way, I spent YEARS trying to get a C. Tovarii seedling to germinate and I finally did it! if the aphids go after it, I'm going to go insane, push the gamma rays like Mayaflor and eradicate all aphids in my entire basement. lol. STAY AWAY from that one bastard bugs!!

Chris
 
That totally suck Chris, I feel for you right now. I have used neem on mature plants with much success. Neem is a natural oil and will make you plants shine a bit but the idea is to suffocate the aphids. Those bugger usually show up on my overwintered plants first and they are arrested right there. Bring out the big guns. There is already some damage done but the plants will recover.
 
Pepper Ridge Farm said:
That totally suck Chris, I feel for you right now. I have used neem on mature plants with much success. Neem is a natural oil and will make you plants shine a bit but the idea is to suffocate the aphids. Those bugger usually show up on my overwintered plants first and they are arrested right there. Bring out the big guns. There is already some damage done but the plants will recover.
Click to expand...

Yup, kill them quick. I keep my new plants away from my overwinter lot. Mine die anyway. This is the last time I use rockwool - I guess I'm just too dumb to figure it out. I'm having much more luck with starting in Pro-Mix. They grow quicker and the transplant shock is minimal.

I never heard of using pyrethrum before but I figure if Potawie is recommending it, it must be good. Found some info on the web:
Using natural pyrethrum (pyrethrins) in home gardens
Pyrethrum, either alone or in combination with other compounds, is a very effective, safe and environmentally friendly garden insecticide. Pyrethrum is effective aginst a wide array of garden and greenhouse pests (see product label) and can often be used right up to the day of harvest.

Pyrethrum is a botanical insecticide and can be combined with neem oil or insecticidal soap for a wider spectrum of control. Pyrethrum can be used for aphids, scale insects, spider mites, thrips and many other leaf-feeding garden pests. A small, 1 quart sprayer will be useful for applying these sprays.

Bug Buster-O is a brand of pyrethrum concentrate (1.4% pyrethrins).
Link to page: http://www.livingwithbugs.com/permethr.html
 
That sticky stuff on the leaves is their excrement, another sign of aphids. Also, aphids don't just suck the life out of plants they're also capable of transmitting diseases.

I don't find aphid problems to be *that* bad because at least they're visible and they can't run or fly away.

Before even thinking of using any product at all, I find I can get rid of 95% or more of them just by using water pressure or a humid q-tip on more delicate parts. So far I've been lucky enough not to have ever needed anything but water and a handful of patience.

Of course I can see how people with volumes of affected plants have to settle for the sprays.

No matter what you do, I hope the guy recovers fine,
/pb
 
The problem with pyrethins and most other insecticides is that aphids(and other pests) can become resistant and breed resistant babies. Thats why its often recommended that you use oils/soaps/alcohols as well, or in rotation.
 
I really really hate to see pictures like this. Chris, this sucks so bad but I have found that the safer soaps have worked 100% of the time for me. Had a huge breakout around december on some overwintered plants and they have not been seen since. Good luck.
 
I had an Organic bug spray that was brilliant and a chemical one that wasn't so brilliant, I did use a soap solution too which kind of worked for a few days. The Organic one was brilliant, even if it did smell of parmesan cheese.
 
OMG Chris!!!!

you have several generations in the pictures...

I think Pam said you could take the plants and hold your fingers over the soil and "swish" the leaves and stem in soapy/insedcticide water didnt' you Pam?

what ever you do, do it quick and remember, one time isn't enough, you will be fighting these for weeks...or at least I had to last year before plantout....

good luck with the annihilation
 
If you use pyrethrins, remember to *lightly* spray the top of the soil around the base of the plant as there are usually a few aphids down there, too.
 
AlabamaJack said:
I think Pam said you could take the plants and hold your fingers over the soil and "swish" the leaves and stem in soapy/insedcticide water didnt' you Pam?
Click to expand...

Yup. Mechanically removing the aphids when they're that badly infested helps. It also washes the residues of any other sprays off before you apply another.
 
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