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Holes on pepper leaves appear when grown both in open ground and in a greenhouse. They are gnawed by insects (aphids, Colorado potato beetles) or slugs. Because of this, the bushes weaken, the leaves gradually dry out, which has a bad effect on the yield. If the infestation is very severe, chemicals must be used. In other cases, folk remedies - infusions, decoctions or solutions - show good results.
Why do pepper leaves have holes?
If holes appear on pepper leaves, first of all you need to carefully inspect the plantings, including neighboring crops. The main reason for the appearance of holes is leaf-eating pests. Among them can be both insects (aphids, Colorado potato beetles, cutworm caterpillars) and mollusks (slugs).
Aphid
Aphids are a dangerous pest that appears not only on peppers, but also on other plants.
The insect is very prolific, producing more than 10 generations during the season. You can detect it visually - on the underside of the leaves you can see a colony of small dots of brown, black, greenish tint.
There are other signs of aphids on peppers:
- deformation of apical shoots;
- weakened appearance, developmental delay;
- whitish sticky coating on leaves and branches;
- small holes.
If you find an anthill, you need to destroy it or pour boiling water over it. Otherwise, the aphids will multiply, causing many holes to appear on the leaves.
Colorado beetle
The Colorado potato beetle can also be detected visually. Its body has a noticeable color - black stripes on a light yellow background. Not only adults, but also larvae pose a danger to peppers. In the early stages they are light gray in color, and then red-yellow. The body is fleshy, partly reminiscent of a worm.
The female Colorado potato beetle leaves a clutch of eggs on the underside of the leaf.
Pests begin to eat plant tissue immediately after seedlings are transplanted into open ground and until fruiting ends in August. Their clusters can be seen in any part of the culture. As a result, holes appear on the foliage and the surface becomes damaged, which has a bad effect on yield.
Slugs
Slugs are a type of mollusk without a hard shell. They are called that because they stain everything with special mucus, with the help of which I can move quite quickly along leaves, stems and other surfaces.
The slug's body is large, easily noticeable even from a distance
The shape of the pest is worm-like, the color ranges from sand and orange to brown, gray and black. Slugs are found almost everywhere. Favorable conditions for their appearance are high humidity, warm weather and the ability to hide in cracks, surface soil and other shelters.Active at night, they always hide by morning. They eat leaves and leave holes.
In this case, the most likely cause is slug larvae, which are spread with the soil. They become active at night and hide in the surface layer of soil during the day.
Cutworm caterpillars
Also, holes in pepper leaves can appear due to cutworm caterpillars. These are leaf-eating insects that have a fairly large, clearly visible green body with gray specks on the sides. It hides along the stems and also in leaf axils.
It feeds on plant juices and gnaws holes, which leads to the gradual death of leaves. If the infestation is severe, the crop will suffer significantly, so the caterpillars should be collected by hand as quickly as possible and then treated.
Caterpillars are easy to spot and remove manually
Pepper pests in a greenhouse
Pepper is a demanding plant, so it is often grown in a greenhouse. In greenhouse conditions, the following insects pose a particular danger:
- aphid;
- mole cricket;
- thrips;
- Colorado beetle
- spider mite;
- nematodes.
Not all of them gnaw holes in leaf plates. But the pests described are dangerous, prolific and can easily move to neighboring plants. It is also worth considering that they feel especially comfortable in the greenhouse due to the high humidity and the absence of strong temperature changes.
Pepper pests in open ground
When grown in open ground, peppers are at risk from the same pests. But you can add other representatives to them:
- May beetle (including larvae);
- wireworm;
- slugs;
- whitefly
When growing crops in open beds, it is worth remembering that the seedlings are practically not protected by anything. They can suffer not only from pests, but also from unfavorable weather conditions, for example, cold nights, strong winds or scorching sun.
How to treat peppers if holes appear on their leaves
If holes appear on the leaves of seedlings or adult pepper bushes, you must immediately begin processing. In this case, large pests (Colorado beetles, slugs) are first removed by hand, collected in a cage and then destroyed. After this, the plantings are completely treated using chemicals. In the early stages, it is permissible to use traditional methods.
Chemicals
Chemicals are the most effective way to control pests that chew holes in pepper leaves. However, they have a drawback - not all drugs are safe for humans, pets and beneficial insects. Therefore, processing must be planned in advance, respecting the waiting periods, i.e. minimum number of days before harvest.
"Biotlin" is one of the popular chemical preparations against aphids
The most effective insecticides against insects that leave holes on pepper leaves include:
- "Aktara";
- "Biotlin";
- "Batrider";
- "Tanrek";
- "Pure Flower" and others.
The Colorado potato beetle, which gnaws holes in pepper leaves, is combated using the following drugs:
- "Arrivo";
- "Karate";
- "Alphas";
- "Spark";
- "Shar Pei."
The following remedies help against cutworms that gnaw holes on the surface of pepper leaves:
- "Confidor";
- "Decis";
- "Agravertine";
- "Karbofos";
- "Fitoverm".
As for slugs, which not only make holes in pepper leaves, but also almost completely destroy them, the following drugs help deal with them:
- "Storm";
- "Ulitsid";
- "Slug Eater" and others.
Spraying with insecticides, acaricides and other preparations against insects that leave holes on pepper leaves is carried out in the evening, preferably in dry and windless weather (if planting is done in open ground). The solution is prepared according to the instructions, after which one or maximum two treatments are carried out. You can start harvesting no earlier than after 10-15 days (there are also longer waiting times - up to 30 days).
Traditional methods
Folk remedies against pests that gnaw holes on pepper leaves are very helpful in the early stages of the invasion and during fruiting, when some chemicals can be dangerous. They are also used for prevention.
The cooking recipes are quite simple. It is necessary to make a decoction, infusion or solution. Among the most effective means recommended by experienced gardeners are the following (the amount of raw materials is indicated for a standard bucket of water - 10 liters):
- Decoction of tomato or potato tops – 500 g.
- Decoction of marigold flowers – 500 g.
- Infusion of wormwood, dandelions, celandine (separately) – 500 g.
- Wood ash infusion – 200 g.
- Hydrogen peroxide solution - 2 tablespoons and the same amount of laundry soap shavings.
- Infusion of tobacco dust – 200 g.
- Ammonia solution – 2 tbsp. l.
- Onion peel infusion – 1 kg.
- Chili pepper infusion – 100 g.
- Infusion of garlic cloves – 100 g.
You can use a regular plastic bottle as a slug trap.
The described remedies are good for getting rid of insects and beetles that leave holes on the leaves of peppers. As for slugs, they are removed manually, and the following methods are used to repel them:
- scatter broken nut shells or eggs next to the garden bed;
- sprinkle the paths with mustard powder;
- crushed chili peppers are spread over the area;
- drop a jar (trap) with damp paper, soil, and rotten leaves.
You can also sprinkle fluff lime in places where pests accumulate. But it is important to remember that it alkalizes the soil, increasing the pH. Therefore, you should not use this product regularly.
Prevention measures
No one is immune from pest invasion, but the risk of slugs, aphids, Colorado potato beetles and other pests can be reduced. To do this, it is recommended to follow the advice of experienced gardeners who know how to deal with holes on the leaves of seedlings and adult pepper bushes:
- Carefully remove weeds and plant debris in the fall, take them away and burn them or simply throw them away.
- Dig up the area and remove weeds by chopping them with a shovel.
- Watch for the appearance of anthills and destroy them.
- Maintain proper watering, avoiding excess moisture.
- Ventilate the greenhouse regularly, especially in hot weather.
- Do not thicken the plantings, even if there is little space.
- Remove debris, foreign objects, stones, behind which slugs, beetles and other pepper pests can hide, leaving holes on its leaves.
- Carry out preventive treatments after transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse or open ground, using the described preparations or folk remedies.
Conclusion
Holes on pepper leaves appear even on seedlings that are usually grown at home.But most often they form after transplanting into the ground or into a greenhouse. The main cause is associated with aphids, Colorado potato beetles, slugs and other pests. They can be destroyed with chemicals or products prepared according to folk recipes.
