[Diana in Wisconsin]

Oh, sorry! Missed this question; I was in the garden, LOL!

Mealy Bugs, most likely, though I'm not seeing anything on the web that they attack Kale. They can be a real pest on houseplants too, especially if you bring in potted peppers from outside to over-winter them.

If the are Mealy Bugs and since they're on FOOD, I would go the organic route, so I'd use insecticidal soap. It may take a few applications accounting for rain and/or how persistent they can be.

If you ever get them on houseplants, a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol will kill them deader than dead. ;)

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Thank you. I applied a spray of water, vegetable oil, and Dr Bonner’s Castille soap the other day. Have not done a micro eyeball test/check to see how that went.