A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 please HELP!!! BIG bug problem!

I have NO idea what kind of bug I am dealing with or what to do to get rid of them...I hope someone can help! Several weeks ago I noticed all of the sudden that my bell pepper plants leaves and buds were falling off. When I looked closer...there was a "sticky" film on the top of the leaves and on the back were clusters of tiny little "egg" looking bugs. I the noticed they were on all of my assorted pepper plants...worse on the hot peppers (chili, hot cherry, jalepeno' etc...) Not knowing what to do I washed EVERY leaf (a whole days worth) with mild dish washing liquid and then put seven dust on them....it seemed to work...for a few days. Yesterday I noticed these little critters have invaded all of my crepe myrtle trees and my entire garden. I have also noticed tiny white "fuzzy" looking flying bug everywhere...I don't know if they are related. If I don't find out what to do quick I am going to loose everything...they can kill a plant in one day! Can some one PLEASE help?

Hmmmmmmmm Fuzzy flying things, and egg things. >.< unfortunately this isn't enough information. Could you give us a more detailed description of the bugz? Same with the film.

How big are the bugz? What color are they? are they fuzzy or hardshelled? Do they move fast or slow? Long legs? short legs?

With the film... what kinda film? like the stuff that appears on soup after a while, or like a spider web? Or like a sorta icky sticky something?

For now, if ya wana go organic on these guys, i suggest praying mantis bulbs. You can buy them at some greenhouses. They're eggsacks that hold hundreds of praying mantises, and you just set one in the crotch of a plant, and a few days later, you'll have a buncha defenders of your garden!

Either that or ladybugz. I donno how to get those though.

~Phoebe

the bug lady might know...anyone see her lately????

I hope your plants are ok!!! I don't know much on bugs...I just run from them.

Sounds like white flies and yes the black spots and flies are related.You're doing the right thing.Only problem is new ones are coming in and taking place of the dead ones you're spraying.They like to suck on new plant growth especially.I've read where you can take a yellow pie plate(which will attract the flies) and cover it in vaseline.The vasoline will trap them.

yeppers.. whitefly.... you can use yellow sticky cards to trap the adults... but they do vector diseases so might be to late. Oils and soaps can help control the immatures on the bottom of the leave but coverage is hard and also you can burn your plants.

Good luck!

PS sorry took so long was out of town the last month.....

Excuse my tardiness in getting back...I was out of town ushering in my new grandbaby (a sweet boy)
Monday I washed leaves (again) sevened & malitioned...when I got home late Thursday i have two crepe myrtles and 4 barberry bushes that I think are completely gone. I call the county extention office and they say that I am dealing with a HUGE aphid problem..and to get some 80% seven! Do aphids fly? Am I doomed? White Flies? Oh my goodness!!!