Pests of sweet pepper and the fight against them: photos of leaves and the most effective methods of saving the harvest

Every gardener dreams of growing a rich and tasty harvest of bell pepper on his plot. But even if all agrotechnical rules are followed, the vegetable can get sick or become an object of attack by insect pests. The reasons can be completely different. For example, unfavorable climatic conditions, frequent rains and fogs. Let's talk in more detail about the pests of sweet pepper and the fight against them.

Pests of sweet bell peppers

Insects can appear on the beds during flowering or fruiting. Some of them live underground, damaging the root system. Others live on leaves and stems, sucking all the juices from the plant.

Aphid

Small midges most often appear due to non-compliance with the rules of crop rotation. For example, the soil and garden tools were not disinfected before planting.

Sometimes aphids are difficult to see with the naked eye, so you should periodically inspect the leaves of the seedlings from the back.

You can understand that aphids have settled on the ridges by the following signs:

• shine and sticky film appear on the leaves;
• insect larvae are visible;
• the leaves dry up and begin to curl.

Thrips

Black insects with a striped belly. Thrips mainly harm young plants in the formation stage. Pests feed on nectar and juice from fruit ovaries. The first signs of infection are light spots on the leaves. Over time, the spots merge with each other, and the leaf turns completely white. The stems are bent, the fruits take on an ugly shape.

Tobacco thrips are especially common. The pest infects the plant, preventing it from reaching the stage of maturation. The insect lives in all regions of the country. Tobacco thrips are excellent at camouflaging, changing color depending on their degree of maturity, so it is not easy to see them with the naked eye.

Slugs

Slug is a type of shellfish. It looks like a snail without a shell, while there is a lot of gel-like substance on its surface. Slug prefers young bushes of peppers with soft foliage.

It is easy to notice him, despite the fact that slugs live alone. The size of the insect is from 2 to 5 cm, the color is black or brown. Due to the pest, the leaves wilt, become pale. If measures are not taken in time, the bushes wither, the fruits die.

Whiteflies

The whitefly is very similar in appearance and effect on the plant to aphids. The same white little bug settles on the leaf plates. Whiteflies live in flocks. They extract juice from the pepper and disrupt the plant's metabolism. To notice a pest, you need to inspect each bush in detail.

Colorado beetles

The insect feeds on pepper leaves. The pest has an oval convex body and wings with a striped color. Both larvae and adult beetles are dangerous.

Pests hibernate in the soil, and in spring they get out to the surface. The life span of the Colorado potato beetle is one year, but some individuals can live for 2-3 years.

If the beetles are in danger, they pretend to be dead. They are dangerous in that they literally destroy bushes of plants before our eyes, because of which they soon die.

The pest got its name in honor of the state of Colorado in the United States.The invasion of beetles in this place led to the devastation of the potato field.

At the end of the 19th century, the insect was brought to Germany, a few decades later - to France, from where the Colorado potato beetle spread throughout Europe.

Spider mites

The size of the bug is no more than 0.5-1 cm. The mite is masked by the color of the foliage, so it is very difficult to see it. It changes its color from dark green to light brown. The pest attaches itself to the back of the leaf, pierces it and sucks out the juice.

In this case, the spider mite secretes a liquid dangerous for plants. If you do not notice the pest in time and do not take action, you can lose the entire crop. Bushes wither, fruits lose their firmness and elasticity.

Wireworm

The pest lives in the soil and feeds on the roots of the plant, which is why the bushes stop growing. Peppers lose their taste and become lethargic.

The wireworm looks like a thick dark worm. You can notice that a wireworm has settled in the beds by looking at the holes in the ground.

May beetle larvae

Mostly pests eat up the roots of young bushes. Small white worms appear from improper maintenance or contaminated soil. The larvae live in the ground for up to 3-4 years. The most harmful are those who have reached the second or third year of development. Insects disrupt metabolic processes, negatively affect the development of the bush.

Pests in the greenhouse or in the open field

Most pests live both in the greenhouse and in the open field. However, whiteflies, Colorado beetles and beetles are most often found in structures.

They appear there because of the special microclimate: high humidity and heat. Medvedka is a powerful insect with a shell about 5-8 cm long.

The pest has a fork tail and large wings. The bear eats the underground part of the pepper.

Aphids and spider mites are characteristic of open ground. They arise due to frost, waterlogging of the soil or an excess of fertilizing. To prevent the emergence of pests, gardeners are taking a number of preventive and therapeutic measures.

How to process

Among all the variety of means, summer residents prefer to use folk methods, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. What are their differences from each other, and which drug is the most effective, we will figure it out further.

Chemicals

Chemicals are one of the most effective and quickest methods of pest control. They are sold at any garden store. The disadvantage of such drugs is that some of them are toxic.

Description of the most popular products:

1. "Bicol" - a pesticide that protects most garden plants from pests. Especially "Bicol" is effective against the Colorado potato beetle. The tool is used to treat the beds every 6-8 days.
2. "Lepidocide" Recommended for protection against whitefly and bear. Sprinkle with pepper at intervals of 7 days. They are used for both prophylaxis and treatment of plants.
3. "Arrivo" designed to kill eggs, larvae and adult insects. The product is sensitive to external factors, so it is better to process the bushes in dry, calm weather. The interval between procedures is 10-15 days.
4. "Nurel" fights most insect pests. The effectiveness of the drug is not affected by precipitation and other external factors. "Nurel" works even at low air temperatures and in hard-to-reach places. Pepper is processed 2-3 times per season. Works on both sweet and bitter peppers.

Important! When handling peppers with chemicals, follow the dosage and manufacturer's recommendations. Prepare a respirator, rubber gloves, and safety glasses in advance.

Pharmacy products

Pharmacy products are much cheaper than chemicals, while they are safer and more harmless to human and animal health. To help with pests will come:

1. Iodine... For 10 liters of water, 10 drops of iodine are required. Spraying serves as an excellent prevention of pests.The procedure is performed in the early morning or evening to avoid sunburn.
2. Solution boric acid helps to get rid of insects in the greenhouse. 2 g of acid are stirred in 10 l of water. The tool shows itself perfectly during the fruiting period. Peppers grow large and tasty.
3. Tar or laundry soap - an excellent remedy for the prevention of aphids and whiteflies. 10 liters of warm water requires 150 g of dry grated soap.
4. Potassium permanganate irreplaceable both at the stage of planting and at the stage of plant care. With its help, seeds and soil are disinfected, and bushes are also treated against pests. Experienced gardeners recommend mixing 10 liters of warm water, 500 g of dry wood ash and 30 g of potassium permanganate. Such a composition not only protects against insects, but also improves the quality of the soil.

Folk remedies

Gardeners share tips for dealing with insect pests. Folk remedies have been tested by generations. Gardeners use:

• dusting plants with dry wood ash;
• spraying the bushes with a saline solution (per 10 liters of water, 1 kg of table salt);
• spraying with a mustard-based solution (10 g of powder per 1 liter of water);
• processing with infusion based on burdock leaves;
• treatment with a solution based on red hot pepper (boil 100 g of dry pods in 1 liter of water under a lid for two hours);
• spraying based on onion or garlic peels.

Processing technique

How to spray the bushes? Prepare a tool or drug that will be sprayed on the beds with pepper. The spray gun must be clean and dry, without residues of old solutions. The distance between the device and the bush should be at least 40-60 cm.

The presence of small children or pets is undesirable nearby. It is advised to process the bushes on a dry and cloudy day. If the drug is toxic, then protective equipment must be used. During the procedure, you must not eat, drink, or smoke.

After processing, the garden tools are thoroughly washed and removed until next use.

Diseases of sweet pepper and the fight against them

In addition to pests, peppers are susceptible to various diseases. The reasons for their appearance are the same as the reasons for the appearance of insects: improper care, contaminated soil, lack of fertilizing.

The most common diseases:

1. Late blight... It appears as yellow-brown spots on leaves and fruits. Late blight is a fungus. Infection occurs through spores. Late blight often appears in greenhouses, as there is high humidity. For the fight, an ash solution or manganese is used. Photos of leaves affected by late blight are presented below.
2. Powdery mildew is a virus. Looks like white bloom on the leaves. Dew appears due to an excess of nitrogen-containing dressings or non-compliance with the rules of crop rotation. An excellent way to combat powdery mildew is to spray with whey.
3. Black bacterial spot manifests itself as small black spots on fruits and stems. As a preventive measure, soap sprays are used. It is better to remove infected bushes from the garden and burn them.

Experienced Farmer Tips

In order not to see unwanted insects in their beds, experienced farmers recommend following these recommendations:

1. Before planting, thoroughly disinfect seeds and beds. Dig up the soil in advance and apply organic and mineral fertilizers to the soil.
2. Plant peppers in a light, windless area.
3. The best precursors for peppers are onions, herbs, and legumes. It is better not to plant a vegetable after potatoes and zucchini.
4. Water the plants once every 5-7 days. Use standing water for irrigation.
5. As a preventive measure, spray the bushes once every 2 weeks with whey or soapy water.
6. Regularly inspect the beds for diseases or pests.
7. At the first signs of damage, immediately begin treatment.

Conclusion

It is possible to eliminate insect pests using folk remedies and professional preparations. Budgetary and effective means are ash, manganese, laundry soap. Solutions based on these ingredients are safe for human health and do not harm vegetables.

Professional products, such as Bicol or Arrivo, are sold in specialized shops for gardeners. Before using them, be sure to carefully read the instructions and recommendations for use. Which means to choose is up to you. The main thing is to start fighting as early as possible and not forget about prevention.