A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Plant pests and problems Greenhouse Bugs.....Help ID Them

Here are some pictures that I took today of bugs literally covering some of my pepper plants in my greenhouse. I need to know what they are in order to deal with them. Can someone help me identify them and if you know how to deal with the "buggers" I'd appreciate your help.





What are those tiny white "sticks" on the leaf as well.









This picture shows the leaf practically covered in those white things.

wow! that's a lot of buggies. you could try blasting with the hose. I saw some of the same ones on my peppers just a few minutes ago when I was out in the garden. but just a few. there are no ants coming to those peppers? my peppers had some of those same things but ants were eating them up.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4527


this site says it's the green peach aphid the most common pest of greenhouse sweet peppers. The site talks about management of the greenhouse environment so hopefully that will help.

Thanks lots Sheri, it's definitely giving me a start. I can hardly stand to look at my peppers they sure don't look like they did last year, and that's probably why they haven't been producing like they should have. I just didn't see those tiny buggers right away.

Someone mentioned to me the other day to spray my peppers with a molasses mixed with water spray, has anyone heard of this before. It's going the organic route which sounds pretty good to me. They say the aphids feed on the molasses and bloat and die.

I'd be scared the molasses would draw in more bugs.

I never thought of that.

But I need to get rid of the buggers or else it seems I won't have any peppers at all, they're sitting heavily around most of the buds. I've tried to wash them off with a spray of water but what good does that do they'll probably just crawl back up again anyway.

I'm more worried about my tomatoes because I have a great crop this year, and will pull out all the peppers if it means saving the tomatoes.

I've had no luck with anything that gets covered with aphids. I lose every plant in the end.

never heard of molasis. you could mix some water with dish detergent. I think that helps. get you some butterfly weed next spring, can't remember the actualy name but I'm sure someone will come along shortly with it. aphids love the stuff and will get off your other plants and on it. aphids won't hurt the butterfly weed. then in turn with so many aphids all in one convient place you'll attract lady bugs. the butterfly weed is also a favorite of the monarch.

I'll wait and see if anyone else comes along with some other ideas of what I could do this year yet to save the peppers, if not I'll get my boys to help me pull out all the peppers before the aphids do any damage on the tomatoes.

Thanks for the idea cricket I'll look into that for next year.

Aphids. Hate them but there are worse problems.

1) Blast them with a spray of water from the hose. You may have to hold or support the stems and leaves while you're doing this. This will at least get a LOT of them off, and once off, I've read they don't re-attach (at least not well). This has been my experience.

2) Get some 'Safer Insecticidal Soap' or make your own. (There are recipes on this site-- easy. Spray bottle, water & dish soap-- like Ivory, not dish detergent-- is all you need.) Spray under leaves and all new growth. This treatment generally lasts me about 2-3 days in a heavy infestation which is what you have. Repeat until things look better.

WIthin a week or so the infestation will have been eliminated, but there will still be aphids on your peppers. I suggest looking carefully at the plants every day and simply squishing the little buggers with your fingers. Sometimes this leaves a small dark spot on the leaves but it doesn't hurt the plant at all.

I squish aphids every morning while having coffee. Sort of pleasant in a weird way.

Bear in mind that some species of aphids have extremely short generation times, and many also have parthenogenesis-- an egg can mature into a reproductively competent individual even if the egg isn't fertilized. In many species, the female lays eggs that contain eggs! So one female can give rise to over 15 billion billion adults in a single season. And that's not a typo: billion billion. Squishing a handful of aphids makes a difference!

Good luck!

Thanks Marica. What about next year, I've been told that ants farm off of the aphids and I had tons of ants in my greenhouse this spring and into summer.

What is the best thing to do for ants, I now know I have to get rid of them too.

I had alot of aphids on my rose bushes early this spring. I lost all my buds, because the ants were eating the aphids, I think. Anyway my rose bush came back in August and now has beautiful blooms on it.

Like you I had alot of ants, can you share how you get rid of them?

Thanks
Kim

actually the ants come to eat the 'honey' substance that the aphids leave behind.
I use crushed or chopped garlic to deter ants around my veggies, but your garden seems like it might be too big for that?

I've actually heard of someone who sprays his garden at an ongoing pace throughout the summer with garlic. This was a big garden too. I should probably get more info' and see what happens for him.

You're right about the ants and I had lots in my greenhouse this year in spring.