A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners
Aliens? What is this?
Found sevral of these on my ghost pepper plants. This one is maybe just under 1/4" long.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chuck Goecke on
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Cottony cushion scale can look like this too. If it crawls around and chews leaves it's the caterpillar, but Mealy bugs and cottony scales just sit in one spot and suck.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Rowe on
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They were crawling around Chuck... thats what made me take a double take and have to dig out my phone to take the pitcures.
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I guess on second thought, crawling is not a very diagnostic feature. All scales and sucking insect have a crawler phase, when they are young; that is how the distribute and spread themselves on the plant(that and the farming dairy ants). That crawler phase my end when the bugs are fairly large on some species. I think mealy bugs can crawl a little bit even as adults. Look for chewing to distinguish a caterpillar.
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Permalink Reply by Roger on
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These are indeed mealy bugs. They are extremely hard to get rid of and eventually will settle in the crevices between the main stem and where the branches leave the plant. Most organic pesticides will not work on them. Your best bet is to get some rubbing alcohol and cotton balls or swabs. Rub the bugs with the alcohol. It may take one or two times of doing this, but eventually it will dehydrate the buggers and they will fall off and die. You can also hand pick them; however, this can be time consuming if you have a serious infestation. I would immediately check your other plants and they spread quickly.
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