I'd maybe just disinfect the spot? That way you can be sure there's nothing hanging around...

I can remember I had a similar bout with spider mites. Seemed like the whole area was cursed.

Kim

Nooooo...she said the sm word...lol. I hate the pi** out of spider mites. Wiped out my whole crop of peppers 2 years ago....grrrrrrrr. I told myself, after spending well over $50 trying to fix the issue with 20 different methods, that the next time I see one, i'm going straight to the internet & ordering 1500 ladybugs cuz nothing frickin else works...lol.

Oh, I can relate to that. Last year, I didn't notice the aphids on my tomatoes until it was too late. They were everywhere. I went to the garden store, and they gave me an "organic" spray. I read the label - it's toxic to anything that breathes basically. So I skipped that. I tried garlic spray, pinching them off, spraying water, poison made from the tomato leaves... everything. I finally just had to give up and use what I could. So sad.

Here's a shirt I found that I just loved...

Here is a link that might be useful: Aphids Suck

Sorry to say that ladybugs probably won't be too interested in spider mites. Too small of a morsel. And they tend to fly away as soon as they are released.

rht123, I good washing with mild soap and water should get rid of any potential scale problems. Be sure that you don't inadvertently move the insects around on your hands, clothes, and tools.

I do have a sign on my potting bench that says...

'I got my aphids from a dirty hoe'.

Makes me giggle every time :)

Keriann~

hahaha. that's hilarious!

Don't know about scale or spider mites, but I am resolved to wash my peppers with mild soap and water every week all season long. The aphids can be a real problem in the hoophouse in the summer. I've tried lady bugs, lacewings, etc., but nothing works but soap and water. Plain dishwashing soap and detergent seem to work every bit as well as Safer's and are a LOT cheaper over the long haul.

Has anyone tried those yellow sticky traps that are supposed to attract aphids, etc? Any success?

When I was in college we used them in our greenhouses and they seemed to work pretty well. We mostly used them to control fungus gnats, but many insects are attracted to yellow (aphids, thrips, whiteflys, etc). The cards probably won't rid you of a infestation, but may put a dent in it!

is it possible to use organic pesticides that won't harm the plant or do these not work that well?