this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024

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parasites on chili plant, help needed (beehaw.org)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

My chili has parasites, the soft white blob ones, how do I remove them

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Showed this to my very green thumbed partner. She said sounds like mealy bugs, but the solution is the same as aphids.

Water/alcohol/drop of soap solution

70% isopropal alcohol - 1 part alcohol to 7 parts water, one drop of soap

90% isopropal alcohol - 1 part alcohol to 9 parts water, one drop of soap

Spray a cloth with the solution, then manually wipe down the plant. Spray the plant, but DO NOT put it under a light or in the sun until it is dry as the leaves will burn. Let it dry, then do manual removal of the bugs by wiping it down with the solution every day or every other day. It might take several weeks. Her exact words is that "It takes vigilance."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Can't, its a young plant, that would probably make leaves come off, also too heavy to move to shade

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Probably means you should wait for sun down.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Unfortunately, you need to decide whether you want the plant to try to survive mealy bugs or try to survive alcohol on the leaves.

I don't think spraying a cloth with a bit of alcohol+water (I have had success without the soap) is too great a threat, but that's your call.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Aphids? I had those.

I ended up washing the plants down with water regularly.

It's either that or poison. I think ladybugs are also a solution.

Someone suggested to spraying the plants with soapy water, but that damaged the leaves as much as the aphids without killing them or keeping them off.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Where do I get ladybugs from? I need predators and spiders would be nice too. Nowhere to gather them tho. Last nice insect I found in my area was a fucked up beetle

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You can get ladybugs from most garden or even some hardware stores. If all else fails, https://www.naturesgoodguys.com/ is a great option

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

My experience is that most garden centers do not sell these, but occasionally they do. More reliable to find online.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Must be a location thing. All the garden places around here (Seattle) have them most of the time, and my local hardware store has them a lot of the time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I also live in Seattle. We must frequent different shops.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Molbak's (RIP) had them, McLendon hardware has them, Swanson's has them. I mean garden shops (and probably nurseries now that I think about it), not usually indoor plant shops.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I believe you that Swanson's has them because they're huge, but I go there pretty often and have never actually seen them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They were up by the registers last time I was there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Guess my timing is off.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I have a small pot, I want bugs but it wouldn't fit much. I'll check the local garden shop

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Lowe's sells them, but only at an appropriate time of year, which this is not. You can also get them on Amazon and from a few smaller company websites.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sounds like mealy bugs, if they're very tiny. Not parasites, by the way.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They are soft and stuck and immobile, they are like blobs

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Hmmm. Do you have a photo? How large is an individual insect? Mealy bugs can be so tiny that it's hard to even see them moving.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Can't send a pic, but they are 1-2 mm long and no more than .5 mm wide

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sounds like mealy bugs. Good luck. It is possible to get rid of them. I spent, like, 2 hours carefully applying mild rubbing alcohol to every single leaf surface on my wasabi plant and it did recover! I had thought it was done for, the infestation was so bad.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

When crushed they have small amount of blood. Are they the things? Also a spider is in the plant, can that take care of it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

A single spider will not be enough to take care of mealy bugs. Sorry, but you really need to use alcohol to kill off an infestation.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ok, will do that at night for the non webbed plants

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Best of luck.