Peppers and Chillies IPM Module
Practical IPM plan for peppers and chillies covering protected peppers, chilli crops, tunnels and glasshouse production.
This page focuses on aphids, thrips, whitefly, spider mite, broad mite, Botrytis and crop hygiene.
Quick summary
Main pest risks
Aphids, thrips, whitefly, spider mite, broad mite and caterpillars.
Main disease pressure
Botrytis and stem/fruit rots increase with dense canopy, humidity and damaged tissue.
Main IPM principle
Protect the growing points and flowers, and stop aphid or mite hotspots early.
Peppers and chillies are long-season protected crops where pest pressure can build quietly before becoming obvious.
Growing points, flowers and lower leaves are the key inspection zones.
Main pest risks
| Pest | Risk level | Key trigger | Inspect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aphids | High | Soft growth and warm protected crops | Growing points |
| Thrips | High | Flowers and warm weather | Flowers and young leaves |
| Whitefly | Moderate–High | Crop carryover | Lower leaves |
| Spider mites | Moderate–High | Hot dry canopy | Lower leaves |
| Broad mite | High if present | Warm protected crops | Growing points and distorted leaves |
| Caterpillars | Moderate | Warm periods and moth activity | Leaves and fruit |
| Botrytis | Moderate | Humidity and damaged tissue | Stems, flowers and fruit |
Crop stage plan
| Crop stage | Main risk | Practical focus |
|---|---|---|
| Young plants | Aphids, whitefly, broad mite | Inspect incoming plants |
| Establishment | Aphids and thrips | Start biological foundation |
| Flowering | Thrips and Botrytis | Flower checks and airflow |
| Fruit set | Thrips, caterpillars and Botrytis | Fruit inspections |
| Summer heat | Spider mite and broad mite | Hotspot checks |
| Full production | Whitefly, aphids and mites | Maintain biological continuity |
| End of crop | Carryover pests | Clean-down and plant waste removal |
Monitoring plan
| Area | What to look for | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Growing points | Aphids, broad mite damage and distortion | Weekly |
| Flowers | Thrips | Weekly |
| Lower leaves | Whitefly and spider mite | Weekly |
| Fruit | Caterpillar damage and Botrytis | Weekly |
| Sticky traps | Whitefly, aphids, thrips and moth activity | Weekly |
| Dense canopy zones | Botrytis and hidden pests | Weekly |
Environmental risk
| Condition | Likely issue | Management response |
|---|---|---|
| Soft growth | Aphids | Review crop balance and nitrogen |
| Warm flowering crop | Thrips | Inspect flowers and maintain predators |
| Hot dry weather | Spider mite | Check lower leaves and reduce stress |
| Distorted new growth | Broad mite suspicion | Inspect tips closely and act early |
| Dense humid canopy | Botrytis | Improve airflow and remove old tissue |
| Crop overlap | Whitefly carryover | Avoid pest bridges between crops |
Biological control programme
Preventative phase
Focus on:
- clean incoming plants
- sticky trap monitoring
- early predators/parasitoids
- lower leaf inspections
- flower monitoring
- avoiding pest carryover
Flowering and fruiting phase
During flowering and fruiting:
- inspect flowers for thrips
- protect beneficial continuity
- check fruit for caterpillar or rot damage
- manage humidity and airflow
- remove badly affected tissue
Pest-specific notes
Aphids
Aphids can build quickly on soft pepper growth.
Key actions:
- inspect growing points
- respond early to colonies
- avoid excessive soft growth
- preserve parasitoids and predators
Thrips
Thrips are important around flowers and fruit quality.
Key actions:
- inspect flowers
- use sticky traps
- maintain predator coverage
- avoid disrupting biological control
Whitefly
Whitefly can persist in long-season crops.
Key actions:
- inspect lower leaves
- avoid crop carryover
- maintain biological continuity
- remove old heavily infested leaves where practical
Spider mites
Spider mites increase in hot dry conditions.
Key actions:
- check lower leaves
- monitor dry edges
- act before webbing
- reduce plant stress
Broad mite
Broad mite can cause distorted young leaves and damaged growing points.
Key actions:
- inspect distorted tips closely
- act early
- avoid spreading on handling
- remove badly affected tissue where practical
Caterpillars
Caterpillars may damage leaves and fruit.
Key actions:
- inspect fruit and leaves
- monitor moth activity
- remove damaged fruit
- act early where feeding is seen
Canopy and hygiene
Useful practices:
- remove old leaves
- remove damaged fruit
- keep paths clean
- avoid crop debris build-up
- maintain airflow
- prevent old crops acting as pest reservoirs
Seasonal calendar
| Period | Main IPM focus |
|---|---|
| Establishment | Clean plants and early biological control |
| Early growth | Aphids and broad mite checks |
| Flowering | Thrips monitoring |
| Fruit set | Caterpillars, Botrytis and fruit quality |
| Summer heat | Spider mite and stress reduction |
| Full production | Whitefly and aphid continuity |
| End of crop | Clean-down and carryover prevention |
Linked tools
Use this module alongside:
Key message
Pepper and chilli IPM depends on early detection in growing points, flowers and lower leaves.
The strongest programmes prevent aphids, thrips, mites and whitefly from becoming established reservoirs inside a long-season crop.