bugs

[thepodpiper]

Does anyone have an idea as to what may be munching the leaves of my pepper plants.



http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/thepodpiper/DCP_0151.jpg

Dale

[Hmm Boags]

Cats? They eat stuff.

[Pam]

Could be slugs. Was it a lower leaf?

[thepodpiper]

Pam, the ones in that particular picture are at the bottom but they are all over the plants that are being eaten.

Dale

[chilliman64]

sorry Boags, I don't think it's cats :) unless they've only got one tooth or very oddly shaped ones

I agree with Pam, looks like snail/slug damage, in particular the main leaf looks to have some sort of residue as does the one on the right - a trail of some sort?

if you have some beer around the place leave some in a small bowl near the base of your plants, if they're snails or slugs you'll find a few drunk ones there in the morning. try a nocturnal hunt with a torch, chances are you'll find them munching your prized peppers.

[thepodpiper]

Will the snails actually slither up to the tops of the plants or do they usually stay near the bottoms?

Dale

[Pam]

Will the snails actually slither up to the tops of the plants or do they usually stay near the bottoms?

Dale

Yeah, slugs are more likely to stay near the bottom, that's not an absolute, however. Have you noticed any silvery trails near or on any of the plants? There are just so many things that will munch peppers, it's difficult to know sometimes.


Try the beer trick, or put a board, an empty egg crate, or even an upside down cantaloupe rind near the plants. Once the sun comes up they'll hide under whatever you put around the plants, you can turn it over and see how bad your slug population is and kill the nasty buggers.

If you don't see many slugs, you may have to try some sort of spray to catch the culprit. Or you can try one of the yellow sticky traps and see if you get anything.

Have I been thoroughly vague?

[thepodpiper]

Pam, I am leaning more towards some type of flying culprit because on some of the plants the holes in the leaves are high up on the plant. I will try some sticky thingies first. i will also try the cantaloupe trick. Thanks

Dale

[imaguitargod]

I'm going with a slug.

[RedThumb]

I'm going with a slug.

You should have higher standards.:lol:

(sorry, couldn't resist)

[RedThumb]

Does anyone have an idea as to what may be munching the leaves of my pepper plants.

I'd be curious as to what you find. I've had the same problem with some of my plants. Happens to top leaves as well as bottom ones. A slug or snail would be too heavy to reach the top leaves without the whole plant tipping down to the ground.

It's also happened to plants in my planter boxes, some of which are up 3 feet high.

Have you also found leaves cut off the plants? Looks like someone snipped them off with a pair of scissors. By the time I figured out it wasn't my kids (it was cutworms), it stopped happening.

[Pam]

You should have higher standards.:lol:

(sorry, couldn't resist)

*snort!*

Thanks, I needed a chuckle.

[gardenkiller]

Okay definately waiting for a pro answer on this one, I have damage that looks identical. In fact at first I wondered if you stole pics of my plants. :shocked:

[bentalphanerd]

looks like grasshopper damage to me. I let a few weeds grow around the place, they're not fussy eaters.

[imaguitargod]

You should have higher standards.:lol:

(sorry, couldn't resist)

That was really good. :lol:

[gardenkiller]

Okay I work for a co-op. I had an agronomist come by today and told me that my problem was definately aphids. Dunno for sure how I am gonna get rid of them, but the damage to my plants looks very similar to yours.

[thepodpiper]

Can someone tell me when is the best time to catch them eating do they do it at night because I do not see anything on the plants during the day or are they just to small to see with the naked eye?

Dale

[gardenkiller]

Okay here is how I caught mine. Hand magnify glass, camping lantern, 2 AM. Not kidding thats how I found out for sure. Now I just don't know for sure how to rid them. Evidently ants herd aphids onto plants.

[gardenkiller]

I am gonna have him look at your pics too, trust me man this guy knows his bugs!

[thepodpiper]

I think that I will order some ladybugs and just let them go all over the garden and the front yard. They probably won't stay around long but it will increase the population around the house.

Dale

[Pam]

Okay I work for a co-op. I had an agronomist come by today and told me that my problem was definately aphids. Dunno for sure how I am gonna get rid of them, but the damage to my plants looks very similar to yours.

Aphids wouldn't eat holes that large in the leaves. You may have aphids, but that's not what's eating the holes in the leaves.

Most pyrethrin and soap sprays or Neem will kill them, but you'll want to repeat the treatment in about 5 days, and then possibly a third time to make sure you get all the young before they can start reproducing.

[thepodpiper]

Will the aphids stop eating on one particular hole and start another or is it possible that there is a group of aphids that will eat on the same holes therefore making them larger? When is the best time to see Aphids or is it if you have an aphid problem you won't be able to miss them?

Dale

[Pam]

Aphids

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/Peppergeek/peachaph.jpg


Aphid damage

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/Peppergeek/gpapepperssm.jpg


I just don't believe the aphids chewed the holes in those leaves. You may well have aphids, but something else chewed the holes in those leaves. Look under the new, tender leaves or at the growing tips of the plants and see if you see very small bugs.

[bowhunter]

Looks like what an earwig would do to leaves nasty looking bugs but I am not an expert. Just had them one time and that is what the leaves look like. I agree with Pam too
Dan

LET IT BURN

[xgrafcorex]

if they aren't slugs or snails...though some spiders might still eat those...you should get some spiders and let them live in the plants. they won't harm the plants at all, but will eat just about anything that is there to eat the plant.

[Pam]

if they aren't slugs or snails...though some spiders might still eat those...you should get some spiders and let them live in the plants. they won't harm the plants at all, but will eat just about anything that is there to eat the plant.

How do you get some spiders, and what kind would be the best?

Spiders don't squick me like they do a lot of people, but I don't know as much about them as I probably should.

[Hmm Boags]

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/Peppergeek/peachaph.jpg


These are the little buggers I have on my plants. Anyone have a good sure fire way to get rid of them? Also they seem to come in tandem with some kind of green fly type thing? any clues?

[Pam]

Also they seem to come in tandem with some kind of green fly type thing? any clues?


Could it be a green lacewing you're seeing?

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/Peppergeek/green-lacewing-1.jpg

'Cause that would be really good.

[Hmm Boags]

Could it be a green lacewing you're seeing?

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/Peppergeek/green-lacewing-1.jpg

'Cause that would be really good.


Well if it's not a lace wine it's the lacewings younger brother. Thet do look just like that. Are they ok to have about?

[Pam]

Well if it's not a lace wine it's the lacewings younger brother. Thet do look just like that. Are they ok to have about?

They eat aphids, <spit!> thrips, spider mites and whiteflies.

So, yeah, they're ok to have about.

[xgrafcorex]

pam - i started a thread on another forum to find out what type of spiders people recommend. so far it would seem that it really depends on what these pests are. i don't know if any spiders really eat slugs..maybe tarantulas. also i don't know where thepodpiper lives, so i don't know what kind of spiders are there either.

as for getting spiders...i would just catch local ones, or there is a website that you can order some species from that are very inexpensive. if they are flying pests, some type of orb weaver would be good since they make those nice round webs to catch food..other that, the first thing that comes to mind are Peucetia viridans or green lynx spider. http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Nature/Spiders/GreenLynxSpiderHeadOn.jpg


any luck finding out what exactly is behind all this podpiper?

[thepodpiper]

xgrafcorex, actually I have put that on the back burner for now I have a much bigger problem that is affecting almost every pepper I have and it does'nt seem to be bug related. I am going to take some plants to my county extension office first thing in the morning. If it is a virus I will lose around 100 varieties. I hope there is a fix. I think I will take a pain killer tonight LOL.

Dale

[gardenkiller]

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/Peppergeek/peachaph.jpg


These are the little buggers I have on my plants. Anyone have a good sure fire way to get rid of them? Also they seem to come in tandem with some kind of green fly type thing? any clues?



Most soaps/sprays/powders will kill aphids. Most take at least 3 or 4 applications to kill all of em, maybe more, just read product directions. Biggest thing I have been told is to control the ant population of the infestation area because ants will actually herd aphids onto plants. Hope that is helpful.

[herne_the_hunter]

They eat aphids, <spit!> thrips, spider mites and whiteflies.

So, yeah, they're ok to have about.

I had some greenfly on one of my red savina's and one of those lacewing things. I thought the lacewing was big momma so I killed it.....DOH!!!!!!! :(

[BBQ-Phil]

Ladybugs also eat aphids.....

[kas]

Looks like what an earwig would do to leaves nasty looking bugs but I am not an expert. Just had them one time and that is what the leaves look like. I agree with Pam too
Dan

LET IT BURN

I hate earwigs, but they are definitely nocturnal munchers!

[RedThumb]

I had the same damage on many of my peppers but I noticed that since the weather just warmed up and there has been a growth spurt, there isn't any more damage. Either these bugs don't like more mature (tougher?) leaves or the season for this kind of bug is over (caterpillar?).