How to Kill Insects on Chili Plants

Chili pepper plants are tender perennials grown as annuals in the home vegetable garden. There are a number of insects that regularly attack the plants, including aphids, caterpillars, thrips and slugs. These cause damage to the foliage and, if the infestation is severe, interfere with fruit production. Use a combination of physical and chemical means to kill insects on chili plants. If chemical control proves necessary, select a product that doesn't kill beneficial garden insects and is mild enough not to render developing peppers unsafe.

Container
Liquid soap
Garden hose
Garden sprayer
Insecticidal soap
Diatomaceous earth

Instructions

- 1
  Pick off visible insects by hand and drop them into a container filled with water and liquid soap.
- 2
  Spray the foliage of chili plants with a forceful blast from the garden hose. This removes insects, larvae, and eggs. It also washes away honeydew, a substance excreted by aphids that can lead to fungal disease.
- 3
  Fill a garden sprayer with insecticidal soap solution, which kills insects but doesn't affect developing peppers.
- 4
  Apply the solution to the foliage of the chili plants, paying special attention to the bottoms of the leaves, where insects tend to gather.
- 5
  Spread diatomaceous earth around pepper plants to kill slugs. Repeat the application after rainfall.
- 6
  Contact your local extension office if an infestation persists. Snip off an affected leaf and take it to the office for diagnosis and treatment advice, as location and weather conditions sometimes play a role in a product's effectiveness.

How to Grow Scallions From Roots

How to Let Leeks Go to Seed

Growing Vegetables