Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: teflon on October 18, 2009, 19:23

Title: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: teflon on October 18, 2009, 19:23

   i went to the plot this afternoon to pick my first sprouts of the year&found them to be infested with tiny bugs.They seem to be within the first5-6 layers,leaving the center untouched.
   What are these bugs&what can i do (if anything)to get rid of them on the rest of the crop?
  Cheers

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: DavidT on October 18, 2009, 19:32

I think we need a bit more info, Teflon. Any chance of a pic? :D

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: teflon on October 18, 2009, 19:43

Sorry no pics,but when i lifted the netting to pick them,hundreds of tiny white"moths"(less than 1 mm)flew out.
  Cheers

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: Yorkie on October 18, 2009, 19:57

The "moths" sound like whitefly, classic pest on brassicas.

But what are the bugs - size, colour, do they move etc

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: DavidT on October 18, 2009, 20:38

Agree with the whitefly.

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: teflon on October 18, 2009, 21:09

Dark brown or black, they dont seem to be moving,in fact some of them seem to be dead with their legs curled under them.Less than a millemeter in length.

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: teflon on October 19, 2009, 19:57

Any ideas on how to get rid of them?

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: griff on October 19, 2009, 21:29

Don't worry about them, when you get them home just wash them in salt water  that will get rid of them.

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: Ropster on October 20, 2009, 17:22

you can reduce the whitefly by spraying with slightly soapy water, but the cold weather will probably see them off soon

Thats what Im hoping anyway as mine are covered

Title: Re: Bugs in my brussel sprouts
Post by: MOLUSC on October 22, 2009, 20:34

could be cabbage aphids or most likely white fly scales.