White pests & sticky sap on plants

Question

Hello, thanks for all the very helpful information on the site. I am also very thankful for this facility to upload photos and ask for help & advice.

I have a few chilli pepper and habanero plants that I want to bring indoors during the Central New Jersey winter. Unfortunately, I first noticed the sticky sap when I brought them indoors. I took them back to the patio and washed the leaves. They seem to be doing all right as long as they are out doors.

The plants indoor now have some white pests on them along with some sticky leaves. Am I dealing with two types of pests? I do not see and dark/black scales on/under the leaves or on the stems.

I have attached a photo of the sticky leaves (bug03.jpg) and two of the white bugs. Any advice on how to deal with this would be highly appreciated.

Best Regards, Shoumo

Answer 1

That appears to be aphids! There are a few things you can do to get rid of them. I have a personal recipe that I prefer. If you don’t have all ingredients, that is ok. The more closely you follow the recipe the better it will perform. the soil prep is good to do, even if there is no fungal infection. It is for insect, fungus, and bacteria.

The recipe is as follows: First, you will want to prime the soil with dolomitic lime, then spread wettable sulfur to Kill off any infection in the soil. I Also like to spray the plant itself. Mix a few drops of one or more of these ingredients into warm water with a spoonful of coconut oil: Rosemary oil, lavender oil, neem oil, garlic oil, cinnamon extract/oil and for really bad cases, also add clove oil.

Here is a link for more information:https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/homemade-aphid-control.htm