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gardenskier

Please help with worms/larvae on my habanaro

gardenskier
9 years ago

Hello. I am new here, so please forgive any forum faux pas. I have a container garden on my back deck. (We have a large deer population and without proper fencing a ground garden doesn't last). I have tomatoes, snow peas, malabar spinich, cukes and some others. Everything is thriving but I found these on my habanaro yesterday.

They seem to be limited to the habanaro (at least so far). I did some online research and think they may be a pepper weevil, but I am not sure and either way don't know what I should do. I did remove the habanaro from the other plants in the garden as I don't want them to spread. Thanks for any help.

Comments (18)

  • jean001a
    9 years ago

    Pepper weevil larvae are off-white grubs with a brown head and are about 1/4 inch (6 mm) when mature.
    So, not pepper weevils.

    Where were they on the plant? And what were they doing?

  • gardenskier
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you for replying. There were a couple on the plant hanging out on some very young leaves and/or new growth. Here is a picture of one in action. There were also a couple on the soil.

  • kuvaszlvr
    9 years ago

    Interesting, I always thought we saw some really strange bugs living out in the country, but I have NEVER seen anything like those before. Be curious to hear if anyone knows what they are.
    Pam

  • gardenskier
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    You can also see what appear to be eggs on the leaves in the 2nd pic and more on this one here:

  • kclost
    9 years ago

    I really can't tell for sure but if they appear to be a caterpillar type worm use this stuff. I think it's all organic and really works on all types of caterpiller type creatures.

  • mctiggs
    9 years ago

    I had a couple of these last year, they appeared when aphids took over (see pic below from last year). From the second pic it looks like you have aphids as well. There may be a connection, maybe not. I was never able to find out what the hell it was. It didn't seem to cause damage though.

  • kuvaszlvr
    9 years ago

    Those brown things might not be eggs but parasitized aphids. I had some this spring and a friend did some searching and she found that mine were parasitized aphids. Due to a parasitic wasp that lays it's eggs in aphids. I had never heard of it before.
    Pam

  • gardenskier
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    @mctiggs: It definitely looks like that is the same worm/larvae I have.

    @mctiggs and @kubaszlvr: Did either of you do anything about the aphids?

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    9 years ago

    Check out Syrphid fly larvae. Interesting to note they kill aphids.

    Here is a link that might be useful:

    This post was edited by habjolokia on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 17:30

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    9 years ago

    Click the link and under the section

    http://extension.umd.edu/learn/ipm-common-sense-approach-managing-problems-your-landscape-hg62


    BENEFICIAL INSECTS, MITES AND NEMATODES

    You see the section

    Syrphid or flower flies:

    And a nice pic of what looks to be what the OP pic

  • kuvaszlvr
    9 years ago

    Oh goodness, you don't want to go there. winter 2012-2013 I had an infestation of aphids that was beyond psychotic. I fought them with everything and they won. Once outside the ladybugs helped clean them, but they had suffered a lot due to the infestation. This year I didn't have issues until the temps started warming, this year I just washed them off with a spray of water weekly. Last year I used Neem oil, insecticidal soap, water, a lemon mixture I found on the web (it burned the leaves), I tried a few other things, NOTHING worked. It was horrible.
    Pam

  • jean001a
    9 years ago

    Larvae of flower flies. They're helping you with the tiny aphids.

  • gardenskier
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you all. I am picking up some lady bugs tomorrow morning for the aphids. Hopefully that should do the trick.

  • smokemaster_2007
    9 years ago

    Best Aphid control I've found is wasps.
    Haven't seen an Aphid in years that wasn't brown with a hole in it where the wasp ate it's way out.

    I'd go with the larva being from the Syrphid fly Larva being what you have on your plants.
    I don't remember if they suck aphids dry or eat them...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Syrphid Fly Larva

  • kuvaszlvr
    9 years ago

    Doesn't that photo look an awful lot like the first photo of gardenskier? Does to me.
    Pam

  • mctiggs
    9 years ago

    Aphids suck! I did try everything "non chemical" last year, which only seemed to make them angrier.

    Shamefully, I admit that I gave up and got some "Safer Soap". That killed them.

    I wasn't able to get ladybugs though, there were none in the entire city, I hope that works for you!

  • t-bob
    9 years ago

    Syrphid Fly Larva......the flies MUNCH HARD ON APHIDS

    rejoice and enjoy.....look up a picture of the fly so you don't
    swat it with a flyswatter. sort of looks like a wasp

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    In the second picture I see aphids.
    With the worms, if they are not eating the leaves, why bother them ! let live !

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