Peppers and tomatoes are in the same plant family – solanaceae or more commonly known as the nightshade family – and can be susceptible to some of the same diseases. This is true of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV). The solanaceae family includes potatoes, eggplant, tobacco, petunia, tomatillo and deadly nightshade in addition to pepper and tomato.
Pepper with TSWV. Photo credit: Mary Derrick, UF IFAS Extension.
This virus is spread by very small insects known as thrips. They acquire the virus as larvae when feeding on an infected plant and then transmit the disease when they fly to other susceptible plants as adults.
Initial symptoms are yellowing and distortion of the leaves. The leaves can also display yellow or brown circular ring spots. The severity of the virus can depend on the particular cultivar of pepper, its age and the environmental conditions in which the pepper is growing. Fruit can develop yellow, brown or ring spots as well.
TSWV infection showing ring spot on leaves and lesions on fruit. Photo credit: Mary Derrick, UF IFAS Extension.
If you think your pepper has TSWV, consult your local extension agent to confirm the diagnosis. But once infected, there is no treatment for the plants and they should be pulled up and disposed of in the trash to prevent other susceptible plants from becoming infected.
Homeowners and businesses will often send in plant and insect pictures to the Extension Office. This is a convenient practice for both clientele and Extension Agents, but sometimes it may make diagnosis more difficult and more time-consuming. More often though, a fresh or living specimen is necessary for proper identification.
In an age when high quality pictures can be taken and viewed within milliseconds, plant, disease and insect ID can still take time. Often it is due to the fact we simply don’t know the answer right away and research is required. Sometimes poor picture quality and scale can make the diagnostic process more difficult. To improve identification turnaround time follow these basic steps:
When it comes to taking pictures for diagnostic purposes, more is better. The more pictures depicting angles and magnifications received for a sample the better. If you want a plant identified, take a picture of the entire plant including flowers, leaves, and roots. Take pictures of various stages of spots on leaves, stems, and fruits if you suspect a disease or nutritional disorder. Take pictures from multiple angles and of various body parts for insect identification.
Place an item in the frame of the picture to give a good idea of the size of the specimen through the concept of scale. You could use a ruler, a coin, or even a ballpoint pen. Objects such as coins work well for tiny insects when the measurements on a ruler may be too hard to see in the photo. You can even place the insect on the coin.
A computer keyboard used to show scale for a photo of an aphid. Photo Credit: Julie McConnell – UF/IFAS Extension Bay County
Pay attention to focus on the subject. This is especially true when taking closeup photos and photos of small things with a cell phone camera. Cell phone cameras tend to focus on the background instead of the foreground. Sometimes the quickest solution is to place your hand behind the subject to change the automatic focus and then either leave it in the picture for scale or remove it and snap the picture quickly. It is also important to have a contrasting background such as placing a white or black paper or plastic card behind the subject.
A poor picture of carpetweed growing in a peanut crop.
A good picture of carpetweed using a hand for focus and perspective.
Although it is quicker and easier to email or text plant and insect pictures, the most accurate identification can be accomplished with a fresh sample. Whether you are bringing a sample into your local Extension Office or one of the diagnostic clinics located throughout the state, it is important to follow the guidelines detailed in this publication http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sr007.
Extra Credit – If you want to improve you ability to take magnified photos, you may want to build the device featured in the following video “Turn Your Smartphone Into a Digital Microscope”.
The showy chaste tree makes an attractive specimen as the centerpiece of your landscape bed or in a large container on the deck. Easy-to-grow, drought resistant, and attractive to butterflies and bees, Vitex agnus-castus is a multi-stemmed small tree with fragrant, upwardly-pointing lavender blooms and gray-green foliage. The chaste tree’s palmately divided leaves resemble those of the marijuana (Cannabis sativa) plant; its flowers can be mistaken for butterfly bush (Buddleia sp.); and the dry, darkened drupes can be used for seasoning, similar to black pepper, making it a conversation piece for those unfamiliar with the tree.
Vitex, with its sage-scented leaves that were once believed to have a sedative effect, has the common name “Chastetree” since Athenian women used the leaves in their beds to keep themselves chaste during the feasts of Ceres, a Roman festival held on April 12. In modern times, the tree is more often planted where beekeepers visit in order to promote excellent honey production or simply included in the landscape for the enjoyment of its showy, summer display of violet panicles.
Chaste tree is native to woodlands and dry areas of southern Europe and western Asia. It will thrive in almost any soil that has good drainage, prefers full sun or light shade, and can even tolerate moderate salt air. Vitex is a sprawling plant that grows 10-20 feet high and wide, that looks best unpruned. If pruning is desired to control the size, it should be done in the winter, since it is a deciduous tree and the blooms form on new wood. The chaste tree can take care of itself, but can be pushed to faster growth with light applications of fertilizer in spring and early summer and by mulching around the plant. There are no pests of major concern associated with this species, but, root rot can cause decline in soils that are kept too moist.
Young nymphs of the eastern lubber grasshopper, Romalea microptera (Beauvois), clustered on a citrus reset (young citrus tree). Photograph by John Capinera, University of Florida.
The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, also known colloquially as the “Georgia Thumper,” can be highly destructive to a variety of vegetable crops. This May many growers and vegetable gardeners have reported unusually high numbers of nymphs, the juvenile form of the grasshopper.
This observation is consistent with the usual increase of nymphs in vegetable gardens during the spring months. The old adage of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound or cure” applies here. Now is the time to exert control over the nymphs before they mature. Adults do the greatest crop damage in July and August.
Additionally, adult females lay their eggs in the summer, with hatching the following April. Reducing the numbers this year will reduce the numbers in the following years.
The first step to control of the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper is prevention. They like to feed on weedy vegetation, so reducing weed cover in and around crops will reduce the incidence of Eastern Lubber damage. Short vegetation does not usually provide enough forage for grasshoppers, so mowing vegetation around fields is an excellent preventative strategy.
Although most home gardeners can control Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers by mechanical means (hand picking) this is usually not a feasible option for large gardens or small farm plantings. Fortunately, there are several products on the market for commercial producers to use.
Keep in mind, grasshoppers are much easier to control while they are in the young nymph stage, so early action is paramount when nymphs are observed. Several effective insecticides include carbaryl, bifenthrin, cyhalothrin, permethrin, and esfenvalerate. Look at the label to find these active ingredients, since they are sold under various brand names.
From time to time I am reminded of how little I know. Honestly, I am reminded on a daily basis. A few weeks ago someone asked me about the purple things hanging from the trees. Luckily, the person gave me some good southern directions on where I could find one of these things hanging around in Marianna. So I drove out to the site to get a better look. What I saw hanging in the tree was a three-sided, purple triangle about two feet tall and a foot wide. It looked to me like someone got a box kite stuck in a tree. Upon further research, it was determined this box kite like thing was a monitoring trap for the emerald ash borer (EAB).
A woman hanging an emerald ash borer trap in a tree. Photo Credit: Texas A&M University
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a destructive, exotic wood-boring beetle native to Asia. It was first discovered in North America in July 2002 and has made a home in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, Canada. Millions of ash trees have been killed by the EAB in Michigan and invested ash tree nursery stock in other states indicates the potential for increased spread of the pest. EAB has made its way to the south and has been found in Louisiana and Arkansas.
Monitoring traps are not the only means of EAB detection. A proactive approach utilizing observant citizens can help keep an eye out for potential populations. You can use these tips to monitor your community for emerald ash borers:
Ash Tree Identification – Ash trees are identified by their (1) opposite branching pattern, (2) compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets, and (3) diamond shaped bark ridges on mature trees.
A compound leaf of an ash tree. Photo Credit: FDACS
Woodpecker Damage – Of course, not all woodpecker damage on ash trees is associated with EAB infestation, but woodpecker damage in the upper part of the tree can indicate their presence. The woodpecker damage is usually accompanied by vertical cracks in the bark.
Canopy Thinning – As the attack progresses, bark cracking continues and the canopy in the upper half of the tree begins to thin.
Michigan ash tree showing decline due to Emerald ash borer. Photo Credit: USDA
Tunnels and Holes – The emerald ash borer makes distinctive S-shaped tunnels that differ from damage from other borers.
EAB Damage (left) VS Other Borer Damage (right). Photo Credit: Texas A&M University
This beetle hitchhikes on firewood and infests new areas at an alarming rate. Although the EAB has not yet been detected in Florida, transporting firewood from other states puts Florida ash trees at risk. Your help is needed to detect possible infestations so they can be quickly eradicated. The information available at the following links will help you identify the EAB, EAB host trees, and infestation symptoms.
The hectic pace to contemporary life can justifiably be compared to the seemingly erratic behavior of insect pollinators. Darting from flower to flower with no apparently logical progression for choice of blooms, all the while emitting a mind numbing buzz.
Adult large carpenter bee, Xylocopa sp. Photograph by Paul M. Choate, University of Florida.
This incessant and unending grind of bouncing from task to task has created an atmosphere of tedium and monotony which has become the anthem of many adults. As quick as one chore is complete, another replaces it. Russian composer Nokoli Rimsky-Korsakov wrote what might be considered today’s theme song at the dawn of the 20th century. “Flight of the Bumblebee” catches the frantic haste at which this insect functions, as well as its commonly encountered cousin the carpenter bee.
Bumblebees and carpenter bees are very similar in behavior, coloration and size. The easiest way to differentiate these insects is by their abdomen, the body segment furthest from the head. Bumblebees have an abdomen thickly covered in fine hairs. Carpenter bees lack the fine hairs and have a shiny abdomen.
Xyloxop micans Lepeletier, as the large carpenter bee is known scientifically, is one of more than 500 species worldwide. Almost all members of this genus build their nest by burrowing into dead wood. In the wilds of the panhandle this usually means deadfall timber of almost any sort. Unfortunately, in the areas which include human structures, the nesting sites include wooden timbers and siding.
Unlike European honeybees, the carpenter bees are labeled as solitary bees. There may, however, be several nests in close proximity to these active insects.
Nests are composed of a single parent that lays eggs in a segmented tubular nest. The nest openings are a nearly perfect 5/8 inch (16 mm) hole. Each nest has only a single opening, but multiple tunnels will branch off the main passage. These bees do not eat the wood removed to create the nest channels. Sometimes the holes are not visible to the observer, but the wood emits a buzzing or humming sound when these bees are nesting in hidden locations. In many cases small quantities of saw dust can be found on the ground under the hidden nest.
Heavy or repeated infestations can weaken structural timbers and severely damage siding. Decay and breakage will ultimately follow an untreated incursion.
While the damage caused by carpenter bees can be quite expensive, they may attract an even more destructive predator. Woodpeckers, especially the native pileated woodpecker, dine on carpenter bee larvae at every opportunity. These feathery insect assassins are attracted to the vibrations and hums of the bees hidden in wood. In some cases, the wood acts as a resonator and amplified the insect noise which assures an aerial assault. When discovery of the larvae is confirmed, the woodpeckers attack with a ferocity seldom seen in nature. The rapid-fire staccato of their hammering is loud and devastating.
Structural supports are compromised far beyond the damage done by the carpenter bees, and at a quicker rate. Siding is often shredded and left completely useless.
Commonly available insecticides can help control the carpenter bee population and reduce the prospects of woodpecker damage. Unfortunately, this only adds one more item to the long list of chores and task of contemporary adults.
