We are under attack from a small (barely visible) white fly don't even know if it is a fly but anywho a tiny flying insect,they don't seem to prefer one plant over any other and I don't know if they are causing any damage..I sprayed them with some dish soap and there seemed to be fewer this morning so I repeated the spraying ..Anybody else having these small visitors???
White Flies
Yes sir! I've been noticing a few on the tomatoes and basil plants lately. And was talking to a friend at work today. She has fought them on her outdoor plants all summer.
Thanks for the reminder, I promised to research them and let her know what to do.
Grits ~ did you have success? These little buggers are ruining plants.
I have a lemon verbena that is done for after surviving heat and drought.
Now two or three of the smaller fall tomatoes are struggling.
I know Malthion works but don't intend to use it on edibles so wonder if your dish soap is helping?
Surely is but the battle goes on ,they are mostly on my Zinnias which I hate to spray with the Malithion as the hummers feeder is just above the zinnias and the zinnias are the main sourse of nectar for the spicebush swallow tails one of those dammed if you do and dammed if you don't so I am using the dish soap everytime I remember ..I spray and get all I see on any given day but then they come from another place and multiply by the millions
I agree that there are swarms of them.
I used a dilute dishsoap water solution and found lots of deceased laying on the leaves the next morning.
I think those that die, die only by contact.
But again by the following evening more are back.
It is a struggle and I need to learn more about their lifecycle in order to whup up on them.
Thanks ~ Kristi
Kristi today when I sprayed there seemed to be a lot less so the dish soap is working methinks it is just a matter of being consitent so we get each generation as they hatch I use an Ortho hose end sprayer with the setting at 2TBS per gallon that is pretty strong but so far haven't notice any ill effects on my plants ..Sprayed the Clematis with no harm and some clematis are very sensitive to sprays ..Not my SAC it is one tough hombre LOL
I need to spray again then. I think I've lost 4 cucumber vines to them. Odd but some plants are more sensitive. The canteloupe vines have no problem and sit right next door to the cucumber vines. A couple of the smaller tomato plants are suffering also. And tonight I noticed another batch of them.
Thanks for sharing what works for you. I appreciate the information.
There are better control measures to use against Whitefly then regular dish soap; a rotating spray schedule is recommended due to this insect developing a resistance to insecticides - alternate Insecticidal Soap, a product containing Spinosad, horticultural oils or more poisonous ones for ornamentals. Over-the-counter insecticides commonly used for whitefly control include neem oil, insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, pyrethrins, permethrin, imidacloprid and malathion - be sure to read the label and follow instructions.
Be warned high temperatures and direct sunlight can result in oils burning plants. Don't just spray once, 2-3 sprayings, rotating products, are recommended at 5-7 day intervals The underside of leaves is where eggs and immature Whitefly hang out - be sure to spray where they are, not just the leaf surface.
Yellow Sticky Traps (sticky cards) can be placed just above plant foliage to monitor for Whitefly and control measures taken when they show up since Whitefly spread viral and other plant diseases.
When plant shopping at a nursery or box store shake the plant to see if Whitefly are present and check the underside of leaves just to be sure you're not bringing home pest. I remember bringing home a gardenia and the next day discovering it was harboring Whitefly! I had to drop a plastic trash bag over it, tape it closed so none could escape then dump it in the trash container! Never again!!!
http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg97.html
[Texas A&M describes the life cycle.]
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7401.html
[University of California/Davis...really good description.]
Ms. Tommie
They are here also just did find them yesterday you have to treat the ground too I googled it garden web had some good advise
Thanks for that information and the links. I had begun to use neem but part of me hates to as the cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and herbals are all in bloom.
I had hung sticky traps at night but was careful to remove them at daylight. I did not want to catch beneficial insects or harm the frequent humminbirds that visit.
Last year a friend that has a small garden center had white fly infestation. He closed it down for the year and treated with malthion. But the state inspectors still made regular visits to ensure that it was being controlled. I can't think a business would want to share that infestation with anyone. Sorry about your gardenia.
It sure pays to have good glasses for these little buggers.
They have been worse for me this year than before. Trying every organic approach, and they laugh in my face. Even tried giving them a gin and tonic, and they had a party. I saw that marigolds deter them, so I bought a 12 pack of them. They are now laying siege on the marigolds. They are the one critter I have not found a way to defeat. :(
I have tried the dish soap routine the prmethrin /malathion /spectracide only thing left is to round up the whole mess then take the weed burner to the dead stalks
Today I purchased some 38% permethrin so now this means WAR
I want to know how to treat the soil. I suspect if it wasn't their origin this year, it will be next season. GRrrrr!
Seems they arrived about the same time here. Although the friend with the garden center had problems last year in early spring.
I have some prolific melon vines and that was where I first noticed them which made me wonder if they attracted the white flies.
I'm wondering if the hot, hot and dry summer had any hand in their population also.
Spectracide makes a soil treatment that is called " once and done"..really helped with the blister beetles this year ,but with any flying insect even if you completely wipe them out ,there will be some to fly in to the favorite food source
Passing on this link: http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/html/b6127.html
Texas A&M paper describing the life cycle and a detailed listing of chemical control measures for Whitefly which may help us battle this pest. To find photos of various Whitefly life stages search in Google Image.
A good hand lens 10x plus you see small insects and help with analysis of disease problems - its an amazing little world out there!
Ms. Tommie
A little update on the white fly problem ,I thought I did all of them in but found a new horde of the ****** critters this morning ..Looks like the only sure fire way to control is to let the ground dry completely to a dusty stage but that also kills the plants so that is not an acceptable solution ..My latest plan is to spray with a soapy water after each watering ,right now the only watering is done with a couple of soaker hoses...
I've been using a dilute neem oil with a tad of dishsoap and water. Diligent to spray the underside of the leaves and still battling them. Now I think the spray has been impeding the pollination if tomato blooms. What a pain!
This weather has really aided the white flies and I believe what really encouraged them was the melon vines on one side and the pumpkin vines on the other. I pulled them all and composted them. They'll be bedded elsewhere next year!
I looked clsely at some leaves of a catalpa and there were not any at all on the undersides of said leaves but I do find them on any wet ground,this afternoon I checked all of the spots I sprayed with dish soap in the morning and there were not any ,kinda betting they will be back tomorrow GGGRRRRRR