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parasites on chili plant, help needed (beehaw.org)
submitted 4 days ago by sleepybisexual@beehaw.org to c/greenspace@beehaw.org
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My chili has parasites, the soft white blob ones, how do I remove them

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[-] Vodulas@beehaw.org 8 points 4 days ago

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."

[-] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 1 points 4 days ago

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

[-] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 4 points 4 days ago

Probably means you should wait for sun down.

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 3 points 3 days 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.

[-] Faydaikin@beehaw.org 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

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.

[-] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 1 points 4 days ago

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

[-] Vodulas@beehaw.org 2 points 4 days ago

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

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 3 days ago

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

[-] Vodulas@beehaw.org 1 points 3 days ago

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.

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 2 days ago

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

[-] Vodulas@beehaw.org 1 points 2 days ago

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.

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 23 hours ago

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

[-] Vodulas@beehaw.org 1 points 23 hours ago

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

[-] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 1 points 3 days ago

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

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 3 days 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.

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 3 days ago

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

[-] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 1 points 3 days ago

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

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 2 days ago

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.

[-] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 1 points 2 days ago

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

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 23 hours ago

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.

this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024
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