Chilli plant infestation

Croaking_Toad SG

I’ve got a chilli plant crawling with little white insects. I think they are aphids. They hang around the upper surfaces of leaves as well as shoots. Any idea of how to eradicate them? Are those insecticides available from say, NTUC, safe to use? Will the chillies then contain the insecticides?

Wanda SG

This is aphids

This is mealy bugs:

Photo by a_splash

Is your chilli plant placed in a not-so-sunny spot?

If it's mealy bugs, you can try to remove them with a damp tissue or soft brush, and place the plant in a more sunny spot. However, if the plant is overly-infected, then it may not work.

The other method is to use a little dishwashing liquid (diluted with water), to wipe them off - my neighbour tried this on her pandan leaves and it seemed to work.

Good luck. Smile

sgboy2004 SG

good old baygone will do the trick

Wanda SG

Ewww.... a closed-up of pink hibiscus mealy bug.... so gross! Neutral

Various stages in the life cycle of the pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green).
Photograph by: Dale Meyerdirk, APHIS.

Croaking_Toad SG

You're right, the plant is at a not-too-sunny spot. No choice. My unit doesn't have direct sunlight Crying or Very sad That's unless I bring the plant downstairs just like walking the dog everyday Rolling Eyes

The insects are minute. Can't really make them out with naked eye. As small as a pinhead. But they are white and they are certainly crawling. From the picture, they don't look like measly bugs.

I tried spraying the plant with water that was boiled with chilles and added with soap. But it was too strong that the leaves got dried up after a few days.

Baygone may kill the insects but so will the plant Rolling Eyes Laughing

Wanda SG

How long have you had the chilli plant?

I have the same problem, although sometimes the plant can manage to survive well along a not-so-sunny corridor, provided you prop it up higher with a pot stand or something, so that the plant gets more light. Also, regular doses of fertilisers help to make the plant healthy and more resistent to disease.

However, the cloudy weather lately plus the haze isn't helping, as the haze tends to block out much light. Sad

TWE SG

My cotton plants also having this mealy bug problem now . Is there any way to kill them asap ? They always seem to come back after a few months , as for aphids , try to get a ladybird the red back with black dots type . The ladybird will eat up all the aphids very fast the it will fly away on its own , as ladybird is the natural predator of aphids , and ladybird have a huge appetite for aphids .

Croaking_Toad SG

Let's see, Had the plant for about a month. It was well after gettting it from the nursery. But leaves started to drop coz of the poor sunlight. Later noticed the white specks crawling. Went into panic mode and found some solution in the home made spray of boiled chilli water and soap. No more white specks. But leaves continued to drop. Maybe the soap was a bit too much

Later on, the white specks came back. This time, just 'showered' the plant/leaves everyday.

Yeah, read somewhere aphids and a whole hosts of other insects just love chilli plant. Rolling Eyes

Where do we get ladybugs here in sg?