By Templeton
North Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi
This year, as a complete novice, I thought I would have a go at growing peppers. I grew from seed and raised 4 healthy sturdy plants with a lot of fruit. A week ago I noticed some shredding on the leaves, and saw lots of tiny cream bugs, which I tried to spray off with jets of water, didn't want to use insecticide. Today, I saw they were back again, so I reluctantly used my bug gun. I decided to cut off my first pepper but was so disappointed to find the base had discoloured and rotted, so my questions are, can someone please identify the bugs, which only appear on the foliage, and are they the cause of the pepper rotting at the base, or is it some deficiency in the soil? I have fed as per instructions on the product, but also wonder if the recent excessive heat has compromised the fruit and foliage which is yellowing? Greenhouse temperatures have reached over 100 for the last few days. I have tried to identify the bugs but can't find a matching image. Grateful for advice to save my fruit laden plants and stop the rot/disease.
Thank you
17 Aug, 2022
Answers
Thank you very much. I since read that it could be a calcium deficiency, so I will do as you suggest. I believe crushed egg shells are good but of course they would take a longer time to work. What a good idea the chalk is.:-)
19 Aug, 2022
Good luck - hope it works!
20 Aug, 2022
Thank you, I will remember in future to be ready with the calcium!
I wish I knew the name of those bugs, they didn't appear to have wings, as greenfly/blackfly and seem to have a harder body (couldn't squish so easily). I have never encountered this kind of pest before.
21 Aug, 2022
Just wondering if that's blossom end rot, which affect both tomatoes and peppers when the compost is shortof calcium. If you have any old fashioned bits of chalk try crushing a bit off and watering it into the pots. I tried this with tomatoes and it worked like a dream. Sorry can't hep with the white things.
18 Aug, 2022