Question
I have a small garden in Houston TX and my pepper plants are failing to set blooms.  The blooms that do set are filled with a very tiny white insect.  These insects are also inside of my tomato blooms.  I do have some peppers and tomatoes growing, but i would say that 80% of the blooms dry up and die.  Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Judy,

Both tomatoes and peppers can fail to produce fruit for a variety of reasons, the most common cause is either disease and/or nutrient deficiency. I don't know of an insect or mite that causes this type of damage however. Have you collected any of the insects for closer examination? Use a damp Q-tip to collect some into alcohol. Your local Extension office http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/ will be able to look at the sample and id the insect. My guess is that this is a disease or nutrient problem. You might try planting some new seedlings in fresh soil, new pots and use a complete liquid fertilizer. Sorry I can't be more specific.

Jack DeAngelis