I stopped growing peppers for a few years due to pepper maggots. Each time I’d pick a pepper I’d see the small “stings” on the flesh and know that when cut open it would be a rotted gooey mess, with or without a maggot (or three) squirming around inside. It was gross.
Hoping to kill off any that might be overwintering from my garden, I didn’t grow bell peppers for three years. (I did grow some hot peppers which had some pepper maggot damage, but not much.) At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is great we live near so many great farms to fill in the gaps of items we cannot grow.
This year I’ve got peppers growing under row cover. It keeps the flies out, so the peppers develop maggot free. Peppers do not require pollination, so they develop even if pollinators can’t get to them. So far I lost zero peppers to pepper maggots.
There have been some issues with white flies which, under cover, have a grand old time without fear of predators. A quick spray or two of insecticidal soap takes care of them though.
Remember, adding dish soap to water is NOT “insecticidal soap.” Totally different – be sure to buy actual insecticidal soap.
Covering isn’t complicated and it doesn’t need to be perfect, just good enough. If you’re on good terms with a local farmer, they may even have some scraps they’re willing to give you.
I know this post is old, so I really hope you see and respond to my reply! I am so glad to have ran into this!
I have had the exact same problem for 5 years. After having read ALL the info I could get my hands on, I decided to try and break the life cycle by NOT planting peppers for a year. So I took the summer of 2023 off. Well, that seemed to work. Last year (2024) I had ZERO pepper fly maggots.
I’m just beginning to harvest peppers this year (fall of 2025), and they are back with a vengeance! WHY, HOW??
I will try the row covers next year for sure, but if I understand their life cycle, the maggot eats to its heart’s content, then drops out of the pepper, burrows into the soil, and lives over the winter in its pupal state. Then next summer, it will hatch into a fly and begin the whole process again by mating and laying eggs in the developing pepper, leaving the telltale sting mark. So if this is correct, wouldn’t you be trapping the flies IN with the pepper plants? I’m so confused, and totally ready to give up. It’s heartbreaking to have fully beautiful peppers and when you cut into them, YUCK!!
Thanks for any input!
Yes, sort of. Remove the affected peppers before the young can hatch this year! Also, you might want to try growing in a different location next year in case any do overwinter in the soil.
Jeremy,
At what stage do you place the row covers? As soon as you plant?
Also, the pictures somehow did not show up (I tried Chrome and Edge)
Thank you for letting me know about the photos! I think I’ve fixed it now.
I put the row covers on about the time fruit were starting to form. The flies are looking for growing fruit to sting, so it isn’t necessary before then. That said, you can certainly put the row cover on BEFORE the fruit are forming. As above though, you do want to peek inside occasionally to make sure white flies, aphids and other pests aren’t causing damage.
Thanks again!