Peppermint plants are quite robust. They can even cope well with larger pest infestations. However, you will certainly want to enjoy your tea or salad without meat. That's why you should check your peppermint regularly for pests.
Which pests can attack peppermint and how do you fight them?
Pests such as mint leaf beetles, aphids, black-spotted leafhoppers, green shield beetles and flea beetles can occur on peppermint. Countermeasures include collection, removal of affected shoots, natural pest control products and regular raking of the soil.
The most common pests
- Mint Leaf Beetle
- Aphids
- Black-spotted cicadas
- Green Shield Beetle
- Flea beetles
Mint Leaf Beetle
The beetles are not that easy to recognize because they are almost as green as the peppermint leaves. They cause damage by eating holes in the leaves. A mint leaf beetle infestation isn't really that bad, because the pretty beetles don't cause that much damage - if there aren't too many of them.
Since you certainly don't want to find the beetles in the tea, simply collect them by hand. Clean the crop thoroughly before processing it. If the infestation is very severe, cut off all affected shoots.
Aphids
As with almost all plants, aphids often appear on peppermint.
If the infestation is light, remove the lice by hand or rinse them from the leaves with a sharp jet of water. In the case of stubborn infestations, nettle manure, tobacco decoction or soapy water can help.
Black-spotted cicadas
You can recognize an infestation when the leaves become thin and appear to be wilting because the cicadas suck out the leaf juice.
Collecting usually doesn't help much. Cut off infected shoots. In the fall, you should remove the entire plant and plant new peppermint in another location.
Green Shield Beetle
It lays its eggs in the peppermint leaves. Larvae and beetles eat large holes in the leaves. It is best to collect the beetles in the morning. Then they are still clammy and not as mobile.
Flea beetles
The beetles mainly stay on the ground under the plants. You can detect the infestation because the peppermint leaves have small holes. Hoe the soil regularly. This drives away the beetles.
Tips & Tricks
If you can't get the pest infestation under control, you should consider pulling out the peppermint and growing new plants. This definitely makes more sense than using chemical agents to combat pests.