Mite Problems on Peppers

• Mites are among the more common insect problems associated with pepper plants. Spider mites attach themselves to the leaves and foliage of pepper plants and feed on their juices, causing yellowed and defoliating leaves and poor fruit production. The presence of mite-like insects could be a symptom of a whitefly infestation; whiteflies, like mites, feed on the juices inside pepper plants but, unlike mites, secrete honeydew wherever they go. Physically, they are nearly indistinguishable from scales, so it is much more likely that the scale-looking insects on your pepper plants are whiteflies rather than scales.
  
  

Approaches to Control

• Control methods depend on the specific insect species that is attacking your pepper plants. Mite infestation is difficult to control with spray chemicals since mites tend to reside on the lower leaves of pepper plants. You can alternatively focus spraying of insecticidal soap or insecticide on lower leaves or, more preferably, purchase and introduce other mite species that naturally prey on spider mites. Similarly, natural predators of whiteflies can be purchased at gardening supply stores or through mail-order or online sources. If natural predators don't do the trick, a pyrethrum-based insecticide or insecticidal soap can be effective at controlling whiteflies. Again, spray needs to be focused on the lower foliage in order to reach the whiteflies.
  
  

Other Pepper Plant Problems

• Keep an eye out for other common pepper plant problems when treating your pepper plants for insect infestation. These problems include interference from other insects like aphids, worms, beetles and weevils. Mosaic, bacterial rot and blight diseases are also known to typically affect pepper plants. Any of these problems can threaten the health and life of your pepper plant by diverting nutrients away from fruit production and producing less flavorful fruit, rendering fruit inedible due to bacterial or another type of infection, and by spreading to other, neighboring plants in your garden. Control methods vary widely according to the specific problem being treated.
  
  

Other Considerations

• The use of chemical pesticides, insecticides or insecticidal soaps always carries with it certain inevitable risks to the health of you, your family and your pets as well as possible risks to the surrounding ecosystem. Read and follow the manufacturer's application instructions meticulously and never use more than the recommended dose needed to achieve the desired insecticidal effect. Understanding health and environmental risks prior to using insecticides is a crucial part of protecting the lives of you, your family, your pets and the environment at large.