How to handle Pepper maggots or weevils - Ask Extension
I've been growing hot cherry, hot long peppers and sweet peppers. They've all had issues with an insect spawning inside and eating/boring it's way out...
Knowledgebase
How to handle Pepper maggots or weevils #805531
Asked August 09, 2022, 9:04 PM EDT
I've been growing hot cherry, hot long peppers and sweet peppers. They've all had issues with an insect spawning inside and eating/boring it's way out. After some research I believe it to be pepper maggots. Otherwise the plants are healthy and producing. I have noticed the occasional black spot on the green pepper top, and the multiple white stings on the pepper body.
I wanted to hopefully confirm that this is pepper maggots and what the best option is to treat for these bugs. I have the peppers close to some marigolds, nicotiana, salvia, and sunflowers. There's a good amount of insect activity in my garden beds by design, so if I treat I want to make sure I'm not doing too much harm to beneficial insects. The chemicals I found in articles (Dimethoate (e.g. DiMate, 0 dh), malathion (e.g. Malathion 8E, 3 dh), Spinosad (GF-120 Naturalyte) and zeta-cypermethrin (Mustang) are hard to find locally so wanted to see if there were any more common options.
Macomb County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Zach,
It does appear that your peppers are infected with pepper maggot. Control methods can be tricky. Many of the control measures can also affect beneficial insects. The following is information from the New England Vegetable Guide:
Pepper Maggot (Zonosemata electa)
Flies of pepper maggots have three yellow stripes on back with banded wings. Eggs are laid within the flesh of the fruit, and maggots tunnel into the placenta (seed head) or sidewalls before exiting to drop to the soil to pupate. Exit holes, present in late August or early September, provide entry sites for soft rot bacteria. Monitor fruits of pepper plants adjacent to tree lines for oviposition (egg-laying) scars weekly during July. An oviposition scar appears as a pinpoint white scar in the middle of a shallow, indented area on the surface of the pepper fruit. Scars are particularly obvious on the high-gloss surface of cherry peppers, which can be used as indicator plants if located in outer rows along field margins. Yellow, sticky-traps baited with a vial of 28% ammonium hydroxide may be used to capture adult flies if hung in nearby trees. Traps are most reliable when hung about 20' high, within the canopy of maple trees bordering the field. Make 2-2 applications at 5- to 10-day intervals beginning 1 week after oviposition scars are detected or when the first fly is captured. Avoid sites with horse nettle, which serves as an alternate host. Perimeter trap cropping: spot sprays limited to cherry pepper plants in row(s) surrounding main pepper crop will control this pest and spare beneficials throughout most of the field. Note: Use of selective materials for managing ECB (IGRs, spinosad, or Bacillus thuringiensis) will not control pepper maggots. Use of Orthene atUse of Orthene (8 to 10-day intervals) for aphids or ECB during mid- to late July and early August will control pepper maggots. The solid spinosad bait, Seduce, has produced mixed results. https://nevegetable.org/crops/insect-control-17
One of the most important control measures is to make sure all plant debris is raked up at the end of the growing season, And since the maggots tunnel out of the fruit and drop to the soil to pupate, you may not want to plant the peppers in the same area next year. The pupae overwinter in the soil.
You mentioned that you are having a difficult time finding some of the products mentioned to control pepper maggots. Often, articles mention the ingredient, not the product name, and are written mainly for the benefit of commercial growers, who buy in large quantities.
I happened to be at a local garden center and looked at products that claimed to be used for pepper maggot. When I checked the active ingredients, I found that liquid Sevin contained zeta-cypermethrin and Sevin dust contained carbaryl, both effective on pepper maggot. I also noticed Malathion Spray can. I'm not recommending any product. I'm just suggesting that you may find what you're looking for if you read the active ingredient list. I'm sure there are many other products that contain some of the ingredients that you listed. Make sure to read and follow the label directions carefully, and don't spray where flowers are present to protect the beneficials.
The following are two articles that you may find useful. If I haven't answered your questions or you need further information, please contact us again.
https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/pepper-maggot
https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/pepper-maggot-damage-detection-monitoring-and-management/
It does appear that your peppers are infected with pepper maggot. Control methods can be tricky. Many of the control measures can also affect beneficial insects. The following is information from the New England Vegetable Guide:
Pepper Maggot (Zonosemata electa)
Flies of pepper maggots have three yellow stripes on back with banded wings. Eggs are laid within the flesh of the fruit, and maggots tunnel into the placenta (seed head) or sidewalls before exiting to drop to the soil to pupate. Exit holes, present in late August or early September, provide entry sites for soft rot bacteria. Monitor fruits of pepper plants adjacent to tree lines for oviposition (egg-laying) scars weekly during July. An oviposition scar appears as a pinpoint white scar in the middle of a shallow, indented area on the surface of the pepper fruit. Scars are particularly obvious on the high-gloss surface of cherry peppers, which can be used as indicator plants if located in outer rows along field margins. Yellow, sticky-traps baited with a vial of 28% ammonium hydroxide may be used to capture adult flies if hung in nearby trees. Traps are most reliable when hung about 20' high, within the canopy of maple trees bordering the field. Make 2-2 applications at 5- to 10-day intervals beginning 1 week after oviposition scars are detected or when the first fly is captured. Avoid sites with horse nettle, which serves as an alternate host. Perimeter trap cropping: spot sprays limited to cherry pepper plants in row(s) surrounding main pepper crop will control this pest and spare beneficials throughout most of the field. Note: Use of selective materials for managing ECB (IGRs, spinosad, or Bacillus thuringiensis) will not control pepper maggots. Use of Orthene atUse of Orthene (8 to 10-day intervals) for aphids or ECB during mid- to late July and early August will control pepper maggots. The solid spinosad bait, Seduce, has produced mixed results. https://nevegetable.org/crops/insect-control-17
One of the most important control measures is to make sure all plant debris is raked up at the end of the growing season, And since the maggots tunnel out of the fruit and drop to the soil to pupate, you may not want to plant the peppers in the same area next year. The pupae overwinter in the soil.
You mentioned that you are having a difficult time finding some of the products mentioned to control pepper maggots. Often, articles mention the ingredient, not the product name, and are written mainly for the benefit of commercial growers, who buy in large quantities.
I happened to be at a local garden center and looked at products that claimed to be used for pepper maggot. When I checked the active ingredients, I found that liquid Sevin contained zeta-cypermethrin and Sevin dust contained carbaryl, both effective on pepper maggot. I also noticed Malathion Spray can. I'm not recommending any product. I'm just suggesting that you may find what you're looking for if you read the active ingredient list. I'm sure there are many other products that contain some of the ingredients that you listed. Make sure to read and follow the label directions carefully, and don't spray where flowers are present to protect the beneficials.
The following are two articles that you may find useful. If I haven't answered your questions or you need further information, please contact us again.
https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/pepper-maggot
https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/pepper-maggot-damage-detection-monitoring-and-management/
