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I have been growing my own Chilli's in the kitchen window sill, but this has resulted in a massive greenfly epidemic.

I've tried two different brands of bug spray Provado Ultimate Bug Killer and Doff All in one bug spray and they seem to be immune! Both are supposedly for use on fruit and veg but they don't seem to do a thing :(

Does anyone have any recommendations for getting rid of them and also preventing them from coming back?

I am based in Derby, England.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Gareth

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  • You sure they're greenfly and not whitefly? Whitefly are more difficult to deal with.. How often did you spray?
    – Bamboo
    Aug 16, 2016 at 18:07
  • They are definitely greenfly. The stuff says to spray once a week, we've done it three weeks in a row. We sprayed them all of with a hose first to try and get rid of them as well
    – Gaz Winter
    Aug 16, 2016 at 20:54
  • Or, if possible, you could put them outside, continue regular spraying with the hose and to allow natural predators to take care of the rest of the pests over the course of a few weeks.
    – Brenn
    Aug 17, 2016 at 15:10

2 Answers 2

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You've said you used Provado Ultimate Bugkiller and Doff All in one, three weeks in a row. Provado Ultimate Bugkiller should only be repeated every 10 days, and is both systemic and contact in action. Because its a systemic, that's why it shouldn't be used more often.

Doff All in One bugkiller is a contact killer only - I've been unable to access the instructions for use, but given it only contains fatty acids, the likelihood is you need to repeat treat every few days, ongoing. If it says you can use it every three days, then do so - when you spray, spray thoroughly, till run off, including beneath the leaves and including the stems.

I'm afraid there is no permanent solution to aphid infestation - systemic sprays, if sprayed as described above, keep plants clear for longer, roughly a week to two weeks, depending on the product, whereas contact ones only kill what's on the plant when you spray.

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  • Thanks I will continue what I am doing and see whether I can get it back under control.
    – Gaz Winter
    Aug 17, 2016 at 9:27
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Most of us who have grown chillies have encountered this situation with greenfly/aphids already.

As Joy Michaud says in his guide "There is simply no way of avoiding the pest, and anyone who has not had a problem with aphids just haven’t YET had a problem." http://www.chilefoundry.com/2012/03/16/joy-michauds-guide-to-control-of-aphids-in-pepper-plants/

It is up to you, but you may want to consider using natural pesticides to reduce your greenfly or aphid problem if you intend on eating your chillies once they've grown.

Luckily, there are some great alternatives to synthetic chemicals, as mentioned here: http://www.gotscience.org/2015/07/ladybirds-and-other-natural-pesticides/ and these may work better than the products you have already tried:

  1. Companion planting (some garden plants may inhibit or repel pests.)
  2. Soft chemical measures (specially developed soap sprays, stinging nettle/rhubarb solution or essential oils)
  3. Ladybirds (Ladybugs) and other natural predators of greenfly (Since soap solutions aren’t recommended for all plants and trees, ladybirds may be an option for countering aphid infestation.)

If you can take your plant outside that would also increase it's chances of meeting natural predators. Also see www.defenders.co.uk/ for more options.

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