Pest identification
What's eating my 'habanero' pepper?
Pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii)
Signs: Larvae inside young fruits; pods drop early; bud feeding causes blossom drop before fruit sets.
Control: Remove dropped fruit and buds daily; kaolin clay from bud set; spinosad if weevil pressure is high; rotate planting location.
Aphids (Myzus persicae)
Signs: Colonies on shoot tips; honeydew; curled leaves; virus transmission risk over the long habanero season.
Control: Insecticidal soap; water blast; encourage parasitic wasps with flowering herbs nearby.
Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)
Signs: Silvery scarring on developing habanero fruits; distorted flowers reduce fruit set.
Control: Blue sticky traps; spinosad spray at flower bud stage; Amblyseius cucumeris predatory mites as biocontrol.
Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae)
Signs: Fine webbing and bronze stippling on leaves in hot dry weather; foliage drops in severe cases.
Control: Increase irrigation and humidity; spray leaf undersides with insecticidal soap; avoid dusty conditions around plants.
Keep 'habanero' pepper pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
'Habanero' Pepper pests — FAQ
What is eating my 'habanero' pepper?
'Habanero' pepper is a hot Capsicum chinense with thick-walled fruits that take a long season to ripen, giving pests extended time to cause damage. Aphids and pepper weevils are the main threats; thrips scar the thin-skinned immature fruits. Spider mites flare up in hot dry spells. Capsaicin does not deter arthropod pests.
How do I get rid of pepper weevil (anthonomus eugenii) on 'habanero' pepper?
Larvae inside young fruits; pods drop early; bud feeding causes blossom drop before fruit sets. Remove dropped fruit and buds daily; kaolin clay from bud set; spinosad if weevil pressure is high; rotate planting location.
How do I get rid of aphids (myzus persicae) on 'habanero' pepper?
Colonies on shoot tips; honeydew; curled leaves; virus transmission risk over the long habanero season. Insecticidal soap; water blast; encourage parasitic wasps with flowering herbs nearby.
How do I get rid of thrips (frankliniella occidentalis) on 'habanero' pepper?
Silvery scarring on developing habanero fruits; distorted flowers reduce fruit set. Blue sticky traps; spinosad spray at flower bud stage; Amblyseius cucumeris predatory mites as biocontrol.
How do I get rid of spider mites (tetranychus urticae) on 'habanero' pepper?
Fine webbing and bronze stippling on leaves in hot dry weather; foliage drops in severe cases. Increase irrigation and humidity; spray leaf undersides with insecticidal soap; avoid dusty conditions around plants.