Holes on Pepper Leaves? 5 Wicked Pest That Causes It.
Finding holes all over your pepper plant leaves can be very disheartening. It is a big nightmare to wake up in the morning and head to your farm only for you to discover small holes on pepper leaves. It hurts. So in this article, I’ll show you, the causes of these holes in your pepper leaves and how to cure or eliminate them.
5 PEPPER PESTS THAT BORE HOLES ON PEPPER LEAVES
Pests are some of the major culprits of the holes you see in your pepper leaves. While some pests may vary by the type of holes on pepper leaves, the impact remains the same. So, in this section of the article, we will look at the different types of pests that bore holes on pepper leaves, how they do it, their type of damage, and how to control them.
1. BEETLES
When I lost about 30 plants of my pepper in 2023, Beetles were the most common pepper pests contributor to my loss. They don’t just eat pepper leaves, they munch away on them and create a conspicuous hole on pepper leaves for you to see. The most dangerous are the Japanese, Asiatic, and oriental beetles. This combination will “draw very big holes that can fit the map of the world” on your pepper leaves that will forever leave your heart bleeding.
How Do You Know If It Is Beetles That Are Eating Up And Boring Holes on Pepper Leaves:
Once you find tiny holes scattered all over your pepper plant, then it must be beetles. They are not focused. So, instead of eating or boring holes in just one part of the leaves, they jump around boring tiny holes on all parts of your pepper leaves.
How To Stop Beetles From Damaging Your Crop With Holes:
Get a bucket of water, add some detergent to it, and spray it on your pepper plant. Beetles just like other popular garden pests dislike soapy water. You can also try to trap them with a light & bucket trap or ultimately find a way to attract another non-pepper pest like frogs and birds to your garden.
2. SLUGS AND SNAILS
Snail is a common pepper pest or culprit of holes on pepper leaves. It is gladly followed by its younger brother: the slug. They’re usually the first pests to come to mind when you notice a hole on pepper leaves. Their focus is always on young seedlings. They love to munch on very tender leaves. They feed on half-decayed farm material and later turn to your living pepper plant leaves when there are no more decaying farm produce or materials to munch.
How Do You Know That Snails Or Slugs Are Destroying Your Crop?
Once you see a slime trail in your garden, on your pepper leaves or large, ragged holes on pepper leaves or fruits. Slugs or snails are to be blamed.There are no two ways about it.
Slugs and snails mostly operate at night. This is why they are the top culprit of pepper pest that eats your pepper leaves at night. They work so hard at night to destroy your farm and then you wake up in the morning to meet the disastrous surprises they have created for you.
How To Stop Snail Or Slug From Damaging Your Crop With Holes:
Snails are edible. So, you can handpick at night and rear for consumption. As for slugs, find some coffee or caffeine and spray around your farm or garden. You can also try creating a simple beer trap by burying a cup or can in the ground and filling it with beer. The slugs and snails will be attracted to the yeast in the beer and will crawl in, only to drown. There are also snail and slug bait you could buy. They are rich in phosphate which is naturally toxic for snails and slugs.
3. CATERPILLARS
Caterpillars are the worst culprit that bores holes on pepper leaves. It doesn’t just bore holes on pepper leaves, it can devour the entire pepper leaves and even stem. They are very fast and quick to eat up anything green leaves that you should ensure they never visit your farm in the first place.
How To Stop Caterpillars From Damaging Your Crop With Holes:
The best organic way to stop caterpillars from boring holes on pepper leaves and eating up your pepper leaves is by hand-picking them off. But this can be hectic if your farm is large. You may not be able to hand pick. So, you can also try mixing detergent with water and spray the soapy water on your pepper plant. Secondly, you can also try out some organic pesticides.
4. FLEA BEETLES
The flea beetle is a small, jumping beetle of the leaf beetle family that makes up the tribe Alticini which is part of the subfamily Galerucina. Flea beetles are common pests found on many vegetable crops including radishes, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. Flea Beetles cause significant damage by boring holes on pepper leaves, and they mostly target younger pepper plants leaves.
How To Stop Flea Beetles From Damaging Your Crop With Holes:
Flea Beetles can be controlled with organic products such as neem oil and diatomaceous earth. These products can be put on and around plants to work as natural repellants that keep flea beetles away or deter them from boring holes on pepper leaves.
5. STINK BUGS
Stink bug causes damage called cloud spots to your pepper leaves and pepper fruits. Stink bugs feed with their piercing mouth and inject digestive enzymes into the pepper fruit while boring holes on pepper leaves. These are light-colored corky areas under the skin.
With a name like “stink bug,” you may assume that they are more harmful than they are. Fortunately, most stink bugs do not bite, sting or spread disease. The most harm most stink bugs cause to humans is the ill-smelling substance they release as a defense tactic or if accidentally crushed.
How To Stop Stink Bugs From Damaging Your Crop With Holes:
Several substances can kill stink bugs on contact. Mixing and spraying a mixture of water and dish soap or insecticidal soap on stink bugs can effectively kill them. Pyrethrin-based insecticides and rubbing alcohol solutions also kill stink bugs on contact.
Final Thought:
I hope this article helps you handle the problem and challenges of seeing holes all over your pepper plant leaves. Please note that many other types of pests can bore holes on pepper leaves and even damage your pepper plants’ fruit, but the ones I have mentioned and discussed here are some that cause noticeable holes in leaves.
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