whattyoe of pest is this?

[RentaPig311]

Found these strange little beetle like critters on my butch t pepper plant. There is also a yellow wasp that seems to just stick around.

I've been growing this pepper for over a year now and will very upset if it gets ate up before I get a pepper.

Anyone have any idea what they are and any organicideas on how to get rid of tthem?

 

[ChickenRaiser95]

chickens... they should for the most part leaf the leaves alone

.
the worst they will do is dust bath in the garden

 

[Eggsoteric]

Flea beetles perhaps?

 

[skaldron]

flea beetles are smaller, no discernible leg parts unless you get a magnifying glass. they also leave tiny shotgun pellet-like holes in leaves, they don't cluster like that on the stem. whatever it is, you might try some diluted neem oil. i knocked out some serious aphid populations on fava beans that way. Bulls-eye is also a naturally occuring insecticide that comes from a certain type of bacteria. It's very effective but also toxic to good bugs, especially bees, so don't spray it on anything flowering if you decide to use it.

Mark

 

[GreenEggGal]

They look like like aphids or maybe they are in the same family. I would leave the wasp alone, if it is tiny it could be parasitic to the pests, if it is large it could be a predator of the pests. I don't use insecticides because predators reproduce much slower than pests so after the pesticide wears off the little guys will start up again and there will be nothing left to eat them. I would just squish as many of those things as you can with your fingers or a paper towel if you are squeamish. They will come back but at least it will give the plant time to grow a little stronger and the wasp (if it is a predator/parasite) more time to make babies of its own.

 

[GreenEggGal]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bean_aphid

 

[skaldron]

good call. another tell that they're aphids is if there are also ants present, they farm the aphids for honeydew.

 

[RentaPig311]

Nice, many thanks. I will have to do some research on aphids. The ants have been all over my beds and sub irrigated containers since last year. They really bug me for some reason but I suppose I should leave them be if they eat aphids?

I haven't done anything so far for pest control. The wasp doesn't bug me so much just thought it may be a clue since it's always around. I have a live and let live policy as long as your not eating my food like the squash vine bore beetle.

 

[skaldron]

Unfortunately, the ants don't actually eat the aphids. They eat a sweet, sticky substance the aphids produce. The ants are opportunists. Ladybugs, and especially their larvae, are aphid predators. Ants don't like boric acid, if you're looking to get rid of them.

Mark