Look at the plant. Name what is on it from UF/IFAS pages. This manual does not invent a Florida infestation count or a spray schedule.
Aphids
UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions pest pages treat aphids as sap feeders on tender tips. Look for clustered soft insects and sticky honeydew. Use the IFAS pest hub for IDs.
Whiteflies
A cloud off the underside of a leaf when the plant is bumped is the field tell IFAS describes for whiteflies on vegetables. Confirm on the leaf, not from one fly in the air.
Hornworms
Large green caterpillars strip solanaceous leaves. Frass on the pot rim is often easier to see than the worm. Hand-pick is the first IFAS home-garden move on similar solanum pages.
Mites
Stippled, dusty leaf faces in hot, dry spells. Confirm with a hand lens. A spray invented here is not an IFAS label.
Gloves on hot peppers: IFAS Datil Peppers warns fruit and plants irritate skin and eyes. Updated 2026-08-31.