So, I have tried to rid this infestation over the past few weeks with a fungicide, not working. I believe the black specks are the critter, and white/yellow/brown specks are eggs? Is this right?
Anyone know:
1) What the critters are?
2) Are the white/brown things eggs?
3) How can I fix it?
4) Is it bad for the vegetables? (No longer eatable)
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they are simple aphids, you can
A) spray them off with water
B) smash them with your finger
C) leave them until natural predators come to eat them
D) spray them with a horticultural oil spray
E) dust with food grade diatomatious earth.
I personally prefer method C, But for most people A is very effective if you just do it everyday for a week and they will be wiped out.
A) spray them off with water
B) smash them with your finger
C) leave them until natural predators come to eat them
D) spray them with a horticultural oil spray
E) dust with food grade diatomatious earth.
I personally prefer method C, But for most people A is very effective if you just do it everyday for a week and they will be wiped out.
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applestar
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I'm thinking the black ones might be flea beetles, in addition to the aphids already identified. If they are flea beetles, you'll see tiny round holes in the leaves. Same treatment as aphids should work as well.
The soap spray is not a preventive or deterrent but physically smothers the insects. Be ware of randomly spraying since you may also have beneficial insects such as ladybugs/lady beetles, hover flies, etc. that are there to eat the pests. You want to actually spray the pest bugs and, once sufficiently weakened or dead, I usually rinse off with plain water. Be careful not to spray the soap/oil spray in direct sunlight as this can be harmful to the plants.
The soap spray is not a preventive or deterrent but physically smothers the insects. Be ware of randomly spraying since you may also have beneficial insects such as ladybugs/lady beetles, hover flies, etc. that are there to eat the pests. You want to actually spray the pest bugs and, once sufficiently weakened or dead, I usually rinse off with plain water. Be careful not to spray the soap/oil spray in direct sunlight as this can be harmful to the plants.
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Francis Barnswallow
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When I saw aphids on my pepper plants I used organic soap spray. Worked pretty well. The fire ants harvesting them weren't very appreciative though.
In my experience, aphids are notoriously resilient. So once you spray them, they'll keep coming back...........but in lesser and lesser numbers. Just keep up with them IMO.
In my experience, aphids are notoriously resilient. So once you spray them, they'll keep coming back...........but in lesser and lesser numbers. Just keep up with them IMO.
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rainbowgardener
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Since they are insects not fungus, the fungicide will have no effect on them.
I'm up here in cold country where the aphids are done for the season, so maybe it is different in the south. But I have a couple of plants that get covered in aphids every spring (trumpet honeysuckle is one of them). I just go over them with a kleenex and smash all of them I can get. (Aphids are slow and stupid and just sit there and let you smush them.) That takes care of it and they don't come back until the next spring. Perhaps the dead smashed bodies of all their friends acts as a deterrent? Or perhaps the corpses attract the beneficial insects that feed on them? I don't know, but it works in my garden.
I'm up here in cold country where the aphids are done for the season, so maybe it is different in the south. But I have a couple of plants that get covered in aphids every spring (trumpet honeysuckle is one of them). I just go over them with a kleenex and smash all of them I can get. (Aphids are slow and stupid and just sit there and let you smush them.) That takes care of it and they don't come back until the next spring. Perhaps the dead smashed bodies of all their friends acts as a deterrent? Or perhaps the corpses attract the beneficial insects that feed on them? I don't know, but it works in my garden.
