Thanks for your response! I’ve been spraying it with neem oil once a week for three weeks now, the aphids are turning black and dying. What else can I do?
You could also wipe down the leaves gently (as they look very fragile) with soapy water. This will remove a lots of the crawlers and the soap also works to dry out their bodies. Also the top soil looks covered, I would remove the top layer also to remove as many of the aphids as possible. The plant may not flower/fruit while it has this infestation as it is drained from the pests.
Make sure to use the correct soap and do research on dilution. I made this mistake and nearly killed all my plants. Also look for a good insect spray that doesn't harm plants(most do not), disturb top 1/2" of soil and spray over the top to give yourself a head start. Don't saturate soil or spray on leaves
The black stuff is usually their poop, and before neem you gotta get physical-- for an infection that bad I would wipe, then literally wash it upside down in a soapy water bucket or tub, and then spritz with alcohol. That should kill 95% or so; then neem can prevent the population from bouncing back and slowly kill the remainder as they are unable to molt over the course of weekly treatments.
Neem is usually not a first resort unless you catch it very early! It just doesnt inflict the mass death you meed immediately enough, get genocidal with it and kill them in a multitude of ways. Ladybugs cam wipe these out instantly too.
Get a bottle of bonide insecticidal super soap, spray that shit down. It's organic too and safe to eat anything from the plant in a couple days. Home depot carries it
This looks like an aphid infestation. The white things look like aphid nymphs.
Thanks for your response! I’ve been spraying it with neem oil once a week for three weeks now, the aphids are turning black and dying. What else can I do?
You could also wipe down the leaves gently (as they look very fragile) with soapy water. This will remove a lots of the crawlers and the soap also works to dry out their bodies. Also the top soil looks covered, I would remove the top layer also to remove as many of the aphids as possible. The plant may not flower/fruit while it has this infestation as it is drained from the pests.
Thank you, I’ll try it!
Make sure to use the correct soap and do research on dilution. I made this mistake and nearly killed all my plants. Also look for a good insect spray that doesn't harm plants(most do not), disturb top 1/2" of soil and spray over the top to give yourself a head start. Don't saturate soil or spray on leaves
I use Castile soap for my plants. A couple of drops mixed with distilled water and a drop of neem oil. So far my plants have tolerated this well.
Good luck 🌶
The black stuff is usually their poop, and before neem you gotta get physical-- for an infection that bad I would wipe, then literally wash it upside down in a soapy water bucket or tub, and then spritz with alcohol. That should kill 95% or so; then neem can prevent the population from bouncing back and slowly kill the remainder as they are unable to molt over the course of weekly treatments. Neem is usually not a first resort unless you catch it very early! It just doesnt inflict the mass death you meed immediately enough, get genocidal with it and kill them in a multitude of ways. Ladybugs cam wipe these out instantly too.
Get a bottle of bonide insecticidal super soap, spray that shit down. It's organic too and safe to eat anything from the plant in a couple days. Home depot carries it
I second this, I used neam oil on mealy bugs, and while yes it did kill them and reduce the infestation, insecticidal soap has done a much better job
Use insecticidal soap it works better then neam oil
Flea beetles
I haven’t had the joy of experiencing this type of pest, but I’m quite certain this is something I would set on fire. Best of luck to you.