noticed this on my Althea. looks like cotton candy. There were some tiny white bugs flying all over the plant. I sprayed with rose defense. Have never seen this before. With the mild winters we've had (milder than usual) it has led to a summer full of bugs that I had never seen before.
your comments will be appreciated.
Gee Voss, I have never seen that before. I am having a terrible time with mites this summer. Don't bugs almost ruin gardening for you? The do me.
Your are right about it being gross, yucky too.
Have no idea what it is but it sure looks like it might be some type of spider mite and it looks like a pretty severe infestation. I would do the two step with that one. Zap it several times with an ultrafine oil and, if you are so inclined, a systemic to seal the deal.
Hi Vossner, did you see any critters on the undersides of the leaves?
Is the white junk like spider web or more like a mealy bugs nest?
It just looked like cotton candy to me. There were some little white bugs flying around, but moving too fast for me to capture on camera. I sprayed w/ rose defense and today the bugs are gone. My plant is jam-packed w/ blooms, and it doesn't appear to have bothered them (unless buds don't open at all, we'll see in a couple of days). This pretty seemed unfazed
here's an even better pic
Is it cotton candy? Doesn't really look like spider mite webs to me. The white bugs flying are white fly, but I don't think they make cotton candy homes..... is it on a lot of leaves? If not, I'd remove the affected ones...and use systematic. For bugs in general, I spray or try to spray once a week with a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water and a few drops of dish washing liquid (NOT the antibacterial kind) Shake it all up and spray away... Wish I could be more help..
I sprayed again today. Most of the cotton candy stuff is gone, except on one leaf. I looked underneath the leaf and there where a bunch of white bugs, looked like rice. Did not have camera w/ me.
Sorry, I don't know why I tend to associate gross things with food. Y'all please don't think of me when you're munching on cotton candy at the State Fair, lol
well, I did a little more googling, and it may be some type of whitefly, maybe early stages. that is truly disgusting. I've never had this before, and this Rose of Sharon is not a new plant.
I tried posting a pic, but is is one of those really long urls, so link was coming blank.
I have that stuff on my althea and my hibiscus, it definitely is gross. It is giant white fly.
That white stuff is called a beard.
Is this it?
This message was edited Aug 12, 2006 8:31 PM
Fly_girl, I didn't see anything too terribly gross about Vossner's photo, but yours---now THAT's gross!
White flies DEFINITELY LOVE tropical Hibiscus! The first time I grew some in pots, they did fine outside, but when I brought them inside for the winter and placed them in a sunny winter, the white flies multiplied to the point where any time I disturbed the plants, the white flies would rise in a great cloud. It was a mess. From then on I had to REALLY fumigate the plants before bringing them inside for the winter!
oh, mine looked like that, its just that flygirl took a better pic, lol
I have sprayed mine twice already with rose defense (has an insecticide) and it has helped a lot. today when I shook the plant, there were no flies. I will probably spray tomorrow. Althea is continuing to bloom like nothing ever happened.
o.k now you are scaring me lol. I have never had white flies on my tropical hibiscus. I have had them pretty bad here at the new place but mostly on the crape myrtle. has been to much of a problem since it got so hot but since started getting rain I see they are starting up again. AuntB glad to see you are using non pesticide treatment.
If you ever get spider mites blast the plant and the top of the dirt with very hot water from the hose everyday for a week you can get rid of them. Worked for me last year when I got the on a brug
i'll remember that tip, Donna. thanks.
It's been a bad year for me and those white fly. The thing about them is when you start spraying they leave and then they come back when you're gone. I'll try the AuntB spray, maybe I can get them in the air lol
Your water doesn't need to be hot when you spray for spider mites. As a matter of fact, that could damage the plants. They don't like water. Period. So just spray with water, under the leaves where they are, for several days, and I agree, they will go away. That's the only thing I have ever used for spider mites.
I once read about a study that was done to control whitefly. It found that using horticultural oil was the most effective, even more effective than pesticides (although, technically speaking, oil is a pesticide - because it kills pests). So let's just say less damaging to the environment. It suffocated the larvae and pupae, and when the adults returned to "roost", they got stuck in it. I would repeat this, maybe a week later, for any that got away....
