Like I said I have plenty of ladybugs in the garden right now but these seedlings were very young and on the porch. No ladybugs in sight. I had an emergency because they were stunting the plants already. I have seen aphids kill or irreversibly ruin young seedlings when they get that heavily infested that young. They even ended up killing some of my 3 and 4 foot tall bell pepper plants four years ago when I had another massive outbreak mid summer after almost or all of the ladybugs had decided to go elsewhere. They killed my mustard greens late in the fall despite them almost looking orange there were so many ladybugs on them. The ladybugs couldn't start to keep up with them. That was the first time I had ever seen that happen with what I thought were plenty of ladybugs. I ended up just tilling them under to get rid of them.
I am just worried that with that omen this past fall and this sudden surge on my baby seedlings that I may have a real problem coming again this year. I hope not but despite a heavy ladybug and also green lacewing population right now in the garden I have seen the aphid predators move along and leave me defenseless before. I now have found a pesticide mix that will work but I try avoiding using it in the garden until the predators have moved along on their own. That is why I have such a heavy population right now in the garden but come late spring and very hot days they always leave the garden.
These seedlings were too small to dunk and also they were in flats. I have tried using just the soapy water mix many times in the past and found it only works for about 24 hours if that long before they are back when the infestation is heavy.
I was really just putting out a bit of a warning to others to check their young peppers for this problem. I will stay on top of the problem and if I have to I will use my killer mix of food grade DE, soapy water and Permethrin. I have found that combination when applied well will take out any bug population but the problem is it will take out the good with the bad. The fine film of DE it leaves on the plants seems to take care of the problem of new ones hatching out as long as it doesn't get washed off by rain. This is the only slightly poisonous mix I have found that will work great with stink bugs, leaf footed bugs, aphids and spider mites. I am just hoping against hope that this year I won't have to use it early in the season and interrupt my predator bug cycle that has been very helpful to me for years.
Speaking of good bugs has anyone else down here noticed the big resurgence of honey bees the last few years? I even started seeing a lot of them this January which is really early to be seeing so many honey bees but things really started flowering early this year.
Bill
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