What is this slug eating my pepper plants?
Hi. Does anyone know what this bug in the photo is and how to control it? Its ruining my pepper plants and they're very hard to remove by hand. That's one of the largest ones I've found (about 1/4 of an inch long). They're usually a lot smaller. Thanks.
Last edited by manuelzs on Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- applestar
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Hi. I don’t recognize it — where are you located? Maybe not a pepper pest in my area?
Closest I can think of that looks like that is rose slugs (also affects leaves on my raspberries and strawberries) when they are still small — do these curl up when you disturb them?
How big in length is this one — hard to tell without reference. One other slug-like critter like this that I can think of is actually a predatory fly larva — but they would not get more than 1/4 inch or so, and they eat aphids.
Closest I can think of that looks like that is rose slugs (also affects leaves on my raspberries and strawberries) when they are still small — do these curl up when you disturb them?
How big in length is this one — hard to tell without reference. One other slug-like critter like this that I can think of is actually a predatory fly larva — but they would not get more than 1/4 inch or so, and they eat aphids.
Thanks for your reply. The longest ones I've found are about 1/4 inch long but most are considerably smaller. They use some cobweb like string to wrap the leaves and make little hideouts. Also, I'm in South America (moderate tropical weather) so it might be a different bug than the usual ones in higher latitudes.
- applestar
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- Spinosad would be effective for any of these as long as it is not a common pest that have developed resistance. Good thing about spinosad is that it is pretty general purpose. And it doesn’t have to be direct contact, but it DOES affect their nervous system so you need to treat it with respect yourself, though it is considered safe organic pesticide.
- Btk -Bacillus thyringiensis var. kurstaki Is the strain that is specific to butterflies and moths caterpillars. You apply to the leaves/food for the larvae to ingest, and they get sick and die.
Neither of them requires direct contact as long as the insects ingest, but Spinosad can also kill Beneficials like honeybees Or predatory insects.
— you really need to ID the pest. It might be simplest to put a sample or two in a jar with the food source — pepper leaves — and see what they turn into. It may take a week to 10 days or so for them to pupate, and another week+ for them to hatch,
For DIRECT CONTACT application, simple soapy water is effective for many bugs, too, so don’t discount it. You can pluck them from the leaves and drop them in a cup of soapy water, or apply the solution, wait about 5 minutes, then rinse off. Adding a squirt of alcohol or A drop or two of oil can enhance by smothering the bugs or by helping to dry them out — and by affecting water-repellent attributes in their protective webbing, scales, or exoskeleton surface. IMPORTANT to test apply to the plant for adverse effects,
NEVER use sprays of any kind under full sun.
- Btk -Bacillus thyringiensis var. kurstaki Is the strain that is specific to butterflies and moths caterpillars. You apply to the leaves/food for the larvae to ingest, and they get sick and die.
Neither of them requires direct contact as long as the insects ingest, but Spinosad can also kill Beneficials like honeybees Or predatory insects.
— you really need to ID the pest. It might be simplest to put a sample or two in a jar with the food source — pepper leaves — and see what they turn into. It may take a week to 10 days or so for them to pupate, and another week+ for them to hatch,
For DIRECT CONTACT application, simple soapy water is effective for many bugs, too, so don’t discount it. You can pluck them from the leaves and drop them in a cup of soapy water, or apply the solution, wait about 5 minutes, then rinse off. Adding a squirt of alcohol or A drop or two of oil can enhance by smothering the bugs or by helping to dry them out — and by affecting water-repellent attributes in their protective webbing, scales, or exoskeleton surface. IMPORTANT to test apply to the plant for adverse effects,
NEVER use sprays of any kind under full sun.
- TomatoNut95
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That looks more like a caterpillar to me, too. Is it out at night, like slugs usually are? Or at all times of the day? There is one thing that would kill both - Sluggo Plus - which has both Spinosad and Sluggo (Iron Phosphate), but it would do no good if those pests don't crawl back into the soil, like slugs do, as it is in granules. If you do decide to spray with Spinosad, or anything, for that matter, pick all of the peppers that you can, then wait until late in the evening, when the bees and the like have gone to bed, then spray, covering the undersides of the leaves as well as possible, as well as the tops.