ok, so this one seems semi easy to identify, looks like a baby caterpillar. he's dead now, but he probably has friends.

also, what's that white stuff? it was all over quite a few leaves on multiple different plants (many more than I thought), all of which I cut off.

what the heck are these guys?

and more importantly, how do I make them all die and never come back?

also, all of these were taken from one 7pot leaf. yeah, one leaf had whiteflies, a caterpillar, and whatever the f these guys are.

You have aphids, the white ones look to be wooly aphids and the green one you have an arrow pointed to is an aphid also. Caterpillar a lone wolf lost I guess but I would get rid of him. Also the white looking fly looks to me to be an adult wooly aphid they are the ones that jump from plant to plant to grow the colony. All adult aphids have wings and aim to plague near by pepper plants death to them all

My method is to smash them all by hand but also I usually only have 10 plants a season except this one due to a move. Most use insecticidal soap or neem.

Mark

This post was edited by habjolokia on Fri, Jun 7, 13 at 22:12

The first 2 pics are of a whitefly.

After Robeb pointed out the top are whiteflys I looked them up google images and that's what you got the white all over the leaves are the eggs and the green nymphs that really look like aphids are whitefly larvae. I have not delt with them not sure how to get rid of them but you would need to do something soon. Maybe someone with experience with whiteflys can chime in.

Mark

Yep.. Whitefly. Get ready to work... ;)

1) Order Lacewing larvae
2) Trim heavily infested leaves and dispose of.
3) Spray undersides of leaves for a couple times a day(dawn AND DUSK) with water nozzle for 2-3 days
4) Spray entire plants with insecticidal soap and neem oil about a week apart.
5) Make sure you don't have an ANT problem in your garden.
6) Release lacewings
7) Create an insectary
8) Continue with water treatments a couple times a week.
9) Hope my plants make it to winter.

That's what I would do.

You could just get some ladybugs instead, but I'm convinced after another year's research that lacewings are a more efficient beneficial.

Good Luck

Kevin

This post was edited by woohooman on Sat, Jun 8, 13 at 0:40

I had them on my pepper plants for the 1st time last year, and before I figured out what they were, they had spread to my tomatoes.

Neem oil works well on them but you need to be diligent, they reproduce quickly. Keep up the spraying every couple of days until you think they're gone and then spray some more.

There are some yellow colored sticky traps you can purchase that attract the adults. You can also make your own traps with yellow paper coated with a sticky substance, motor oil will work. Place your traps close to your plants and the adults will fly to the yellow and stick. But remember you must get rid of the young ones to stop the cycle.

Yep.. Forgot to mention the sticky traps.

Very nice shot, Judo.

You got a lot of good feedback, it is time to act. I have seen whitefly in the garden a couple of times. Randomly they are visiting me. I am very surprise to see these tiny insects fly so fast.

Kevin, I have ant in the garden, sometimes under the containers (taking shelter from the heat and rain) and behind the grow bags (small anthill they are nesting). Are they going to give me problems? Are they related to whitefly?

Judo I am taking an opportunity to ask these questions in your thread, sorry.

Good luck to eradicate all those harmful insects.

Caelian

Caelian: The ants will eat the lacewing larvae and protect aphids/whiteflies from other predators like ladybugs. So, in my opinion, if you have an ant problem, you may want to try to reduce the population of the ants prior to releasing your beneficials.

Kevin

my posts keep disappearing!

I don't have any ants near my plants. there's a place that sells lacewing larvae about a mile from my house. should I do the soap thing first, or just go buy some lacewings tomorrow?

so I have some pictures of new bugs on my plants. you might not be able to tell from the picture, but those shiny spots on the leaf are actually holes, and that's sunlight coming thru. this is on my thai pepper. I took out my lighter and burned him alive.

btw thank you guys for the help.

this next one is a poorer picture, but it's the best I could do, he's deep inside a very dense plant.

the one in the picture looks like a little black beetle-ish thing. ladybug maybe?

friend or foe?

also, there are a couple tiny extremely shiny bugs that look like little wasps. I couldn't get a picture though, they keep flying away. they are shiny and multicolored and have a striped rear end. friend or foe? I'm guessing friend. that's part of why I'm hesitant to use the soap.

I don't think the soap will harm the hard-bodied insects. I'm not going to tell you what to do, because there is a fine line between the whole beneficial killing when you go after the PESTS with insecticide.

But given the pics you've provided, I would follow the directions above, except maybe the neem oil part since you can deliver so quickly on the lacewing larvae.. What you want to achieve is reduction in the populations to the point that when you do finally release the good guys, you can lay off the pesticides so you won't be killing future offspring of the good guys.

Kevin

Nice pictures Judo, good thread to learn about insecticide/pesticide.

Thank you Kevin, for the answer.

Caelian

merigolds are good keep aphids away they are attracted to yellow so a yellow bucket with soapy water

this might be a useful link

Here is a link that might be useful: benefical insects

I've had whitefly on hibiscus, tomatoes, and peppers, and each time I just used plain dish soap solution in a spray bottle. Spray both top and bottom of leaves for a few days and they are gone. The soap solution wets their wings and prevents them from flying. Better than introducing probably toxic stuff into your home. I do the same for aphids and squish them between my fingers as well. Anything that crawls, I use a 10% solution of household ammonia. Does not harm the plant, but really does the creepy crawly in. Great for slugs.

so I soaped my pepper plants a few minutes ago, but it turns out the place that sold lacewings closed a while ago and the link was old. I'm sure there's someone else around.

also I went and bought some rosemary, spearmint, parsley, cilantro, and oregano. some of those are on the list of herbs that attract predators, some are just stuff I cook with. 2 birds with one stone, etc.

Good idea Judo. A little fun fact about attractant plants --- most don't do anything unless they're flowering. Hopefully you already have something blossoming so the adults have something to feast.

Kevin

not much blooming yet on the buddy plants.

but looking this morning, it seems as if the soap did a number on them.

I didn't do any soap on the thai peppers or the habanero. there was no sign of whiteflies on them from the beginning. do they only like certain varieties of peppers? I think that would be something worth researching.

I saw one of those little bastards walking around on my kitchen floor last night. what it was doing there is a mystery.

but now for something more cheerful, here's a picture of a habanero pod that's forming. lot's more where that came from too. I'm looking forward to eating that little guy when he turns red. see the one on the left that's coming out of the side of the flower bud? we've got a mutant pepper on our hands!

Third picture is an armyworm.
Remove by hand if not to many.

Or perhaps apply BT. See link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Armyworms

my plants are looking much better after the soap treatment. the leaves have gotten a bit puckery on the ghosts and 7 pot, but the ghost has already sprung back. I still see a few of the little bastards, so I'll wait a few days then hit them again. I thought that there were zero whiteflies on my thai and habanero plants, but now I'm seeing a few. as such I will be soaping them tonight, since it's supposed to rain today meaning the soil will be nice and wet. I'll probably be diluting my soap mixture too, as I fear I may have mixed it a bit strong.

I see some say to rinse off the soap afterward, while others make no mention of this. should I be rinsing them off after I soap them? I didn't do it last time.

it's funny though. I realize now that I brought this upon myself. not long before I noticed the whitefly problem I had posted a thread about how everything was going perfectly, and I wanted to see if I could do it EVEN BETTER. oh the hubris.

it's much like my experiences in judo training, where every serious injury I've ever had (including the one that earned me a knee surgery) has come within hours of someone mentioning that it's been a while since I'd been injured. lesson learned.

This post was edited by judo_and_peppers on Wed, Jun 12, 13 at 11:20

If I was you I wouldn't stop you need a 2% soap to your water so 100ml water to 2ml soap me personally I am more active spraying on a daily basis your goal iss to put a film on the leaves stems so they cannot stick on them

me personally I am now trying to prevent a out break again by planting merigold or marigolds deters them and plant dill fennel coriander these will attract natural predators into your garden and keep them there make sure you build a little box for shelter for them

I thought that a film on the leaves led to complications, and that's why many suggest washing it off?

if you do it for a week it should be good as long as a bit of a draft either that or could risk them coming back

I've never tried coating the leaves with a soapy residue, but, I can't imagine it would be good for the plant.

I started rinsing mine off after I noticed distress on the leaf tips (turning yellow/brown, crinkled, etc..) and just leaving it. Sunlight seemed to intensify the damage.

If you try this, experiment on one (or a few) plants, but, not all just to be safe.

when are you doing it don't do it during the hi of day and don't put them in direct sunlight see most have a greenhouse for chillies out of direct sunlight

Read the link below.... it might be handy and soap dries the aphids up and kills them that way... if you plant the marigolds to prevent more coming back and spray then also mind to spray the soil a little that might have some fairy etc are alkaline based so should be ok try on see what goes but if it worries you wash it on and off leave it for 20 mins

Here is a link that might be useful: aphids

my habs now have whiteflies. my idea of only hitting the problem areas to minimize shock failed miserably.

I know what I'll be doing tonight :(

so what's the word on spraying plants that already have a lot of pods on them? do I avoid the pods if possible, or just spray them too? I have so many peppers growing, many of which might be ready in the next week or two. I just don't wanna mess them up in the process.

you gotta do the lot daily basis as the eggs will hatch between sprays other wise you may start over but read below neem oild maybe better to kill eggs and flies

Here is a link that might be useful: white fly and neem

Pods will be fine... it's only soap. Couple more treatments of soap treatments and water jet treatments over the next week on EVERY surface of EVERY plant. Then, 2 treatments of neem oil a week apart. Then... after you've brought the populations down, release the hounds(lacewing larvae). You may want to even release some more 3-4 weeks later.

That's what I'd do.

Kevin

maybe I'm just being too much of a sissy. after how much my ghosts and 7 pot puckered up after soaping, I'm just a little hesitant to do it again, even though I'm certain it's necessary. I just need to remind myself how bad they'll look if I don't do it soon.

they all got watered today though, so now might be the time to do it. well, the proverbial 'now', not right this minute in the 100 degree heat. I'll soap them down after I get home from training tonight around 10. it should cool off by then.

also, I now have what looks like spiders hanging out on my plant. at least I hope they're spiders. last thing I freakin need are spider mites.

Spray just water today on undersides. Do the soap thing at dusk in a couple more days -- rinse off in morning. Yeah.. I imagine the extra moisture and the soap pretty much bugs the crap out of all bugs.

Spider mites like dry, dusty conditions.

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Spider Mites

I soaped the heck out of all my peppers, waited a half hour, then rinsed them off really good. nothing could survive that. if anything I might have gone a bit too heavy.

I picked my first habanero today. but not because it was ripe, and I damn sure didn't eat it. something beat me to it.

something came by and took a bite of one of the bigger pods, and left the rest to torment me. vengeance will be mine.

Do it daily just cover the leaf and it should try get neem oil this will destory the eggs and young also try to prevent this next time plant some of the plants link below and what they do

http://toadstoolponds.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/why-plant-marigolds-in-your-vegetable-garden/

prevention is always better than cures better to have these when you can look after it easily and when you can learn from it I know it can be disshearting I was like that when my herbs got powery mildew and had throw them all out re start

quick thing about neem oil below

http://houseplants.about.com/od/pests/a/Whiteflies.htm

I've heard mixed reviews about using neem, so if the soap does the trick I don't wanna have to do that.

also, there's a bright spot in all of this. I saw something that I recognized from pictures on here: lacewing eggs on one of my bhuts!

I already planted an herb garden full of stuff that attracts them, but none of the herbs currently have flowers. so if I have time I'll buy some marigolds this weekend. maybe I'm weird, but I don't like planting flowers. I like my garden to be full of plants that I can eat. I tend to leave the pretty looking stuff to my wife. I'll make an exception for plants that attract things that keep my plants edible.

just for kicks here's another overall as of this morning. as you can see I moved my plants under a tree that way they're only getting direct sun in the afternoon. I think they were getting too much before. the sun gets pretty brutal down here in FL.

"I already planted an herb garden full of stuff that attracts them, but none of the herbs currently have flowers. so if I have time I'll buy some marigolds this weekend. maybe I'm weird, but I don't like planting flowers. I like my garden to be full of plants that I can eat. I tend to leave the pretty looking stuff to my wife. I'll make an exception for plants that attract things that keep my plants edible. "

--------------

I'm the same way. But now i realize if I ever want to conquer most pest infestations and eliminate bi-weekly spraying of every veggy in the garden, I'm going to have to let nature do the fighting. Some herbs tend to satisfy guys like you and I. But they only flower for a short time and then they're dead. Flowers though can be planted at different times of the year to where you have some "flowering" at almost any time of the year in mild climates. This way, you have a constant population of the good guys.

Other "edibles" which are beneficial attractors that you may look in to are fennel(watch it though, most other veggies don't like being planted next to fennel), sunflowers, corn, lavender, wild carrots.

Also, there's mixed reviews about ANY pesticide -- homemade or commercial, synthetic or organic. Neem oil interrupts the feeding cycle... which is why I suggest it. I just feel that it's necessary to bring the population levels down to a point where the beneficials can manage them without YOU spraying more soap and/or neem.

Yep. marigolds are probably the quickest and easiest at this point -- they're already flowering in pony packs at the garden centers.

Good luck.

Kevin

this morning while enjoying my coffee I sat there and watched a lacewing larva scurrying around eating whiteflies. it was an enjoyable experience. however they're quite outnumbered. probably gonna soap again tonight...

also, I am now seeing ants around my plants, where none used to be before. and I thought I saw an aphid (they tend to go hand in hand) how do I get rid of those without killing the beneficials or, you know, ...the plants? I was just gonna get some ant poison and put it in a pile in the middle of the sidewalk the plants sit on, because I don't know the effect of that stuff on the soil.

what would you suggest? I don't care about it being organic, I just want them dead.

If you know the benifit bugs are one certain plant take them out first and do it wrap them in a bag to keep them as for the ants follow them back and I sure you can get a can pertrol (gas) lol I'd either do that or put ant posion near there hole I don't know about ants but the aphids will be killed with the soaping if they keep comong back try make the soap a touch stronger and you might wanna soap the soil as this where they lay eggs

A few ants won't really hurt anything unless they're some sort of leaf-cutter :-). Get rid of the food source (if that's what it is) and they will move on. But, to answer your question, sprinkle cinnamon and they will find greener less cinnamony pastures. I had some actually nesting in one of my pots last year, Cinnamon a few times got rid of them aside from a few random ants here and there.

If you have too many aphids for the beneficials to handle the insecticidal soap should work well. The way I do it is to soak the plants, wait a bit, rinse. Repeat every 3 days until you're sure they are gone. Also, I avoid strong sunlight. Evening or overcast day is my preference. Morning would be good too, but, I don't have time in the morning.

I thought I put this on as might be useful I bought neem oil as someone on here said yo use and it has worked everything that was getting hit by aphids are looking better I used it friday past my coriander was taking a while hammering turning brown and it looks well better

I mixed as said 5ml to 1 litre warm water but I added a tea spoon of castile soap to it been reading neem goes iton the plant stays for about 3-12 days but when it is in the plant then any I missed gets hit with indirect contact