Garden Pests

Between the snails, the whiteflies and aphids, I have been hit hard this Spring. However I have to keep telling myself the truth that there are many, many beautiful flowers in my garden this year. The wildflowers have just begun to bloom. Actually, the Baby Blue Tears, the California Poppies and the Gilia have been blooming about a week now.

I just don't know what to do about the whiteflies. The snails are almost all gone (I expect the bait will get the last ones tonight). Also the aphids are easy to hose off but the whiteflies are another story. I have tried using an organic solution called Rose Pharm. At first it worked but then the whitefly larva just moved over to another plant and I would have to start all over again. Also, the Rose Pharm was $11 for a little over a quart size. There is not enough of it left to spray my entire garden. I know what caused the whiteflies now. I have read recently that parasitic wasps eat the whitefly larva in my garden but my neighbor didn't like these natural predators of whiteflies. She paid a insect sprayer person to get rid of all wasps nests last summer from last year and then again she had the same thing done in just a couple of weeks ago. Apparently the wasps were the ones eating the whiteflies and their young to keep the number of these pests down. A lot of this is conjecture but I am reasonably sure that this is what is happening.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get rid of these pests without making the flower nectar too poisonous from insecticides for the butterflies and humming birds and without poisoning the foilage with insecticides for their caterpillars? Also, does anyone know of any way to stop future whiteflies from coming to my garden?

Thanks,

Chuck

When the whiteflies were such a horrendous problems several years ago on the hibiscus and other plants, I had them covering my perennial morning glories. This was when the infestation was to such an extent that you the plants were just covered with the 'hanging, hairy white stuff' (I'm sure there's a technical name for that...LOL...) Our local newsman / plant guy mentioned using worm castings to a depth of about an inch as a mulch under the affected plants and it got rid of my whiteflies. They've never come back. Worm castings are not cheap and there may be another way to get rid of them if the infestation is not strong enough to warrant this, especially if you'd need to treat quite a few plants. areas. OTH, the castings are excellent for the soil and plants and perhaps you might get interested in raising the worms for your own castings also.

I agree on the worm castings, hibiscus are a favorite of whiteflies and I've seen people on the hibiscus forum post that top dressing with worm castings has really helped. If you're trying to do it more inexpensively, you might try worm casting tea--I don't know if it's as effective but you can certainly cover a lot more area--I'd use it as a foliar spray and then try using it to water the soil as well. You can also put up yellow sticky traps which will catch some of the adults. And there are other organic products like insecticidal soap or neem based formulas which should work on whiteflies as well and they may be cheaper than what you've been using.

Also not to say that your neighbor's spraying didn't hurt your situation, but parasitic wasps are very tiny, they're not like the regular wasps that you see around building nests. So any wasp nests that she was spraying are the regular big wasps. But I'm sure she killed loads of beneficial things along the way so it certainly didn't help that she did that! I can tell you from experience though that my neighbors don't do much in the way of spraying chemicals around and I still get my fair share of pests--some years some things are just worse than others. Two years ago I had aphids everywhere. Last year no aphids but lots of scale. This year in the greenhouse it's the year of the mealybug and I've already seen a few aphids in the garden. So even when you do everything right, you're still going to wind up with some pests that you have to deal with.

Sometimes everything is in balance, sometimes not.....I've noticed the aphids lately and thought of spraying, but while sitting here looking out the doors I see that there are a couple of bushtits very busy on my Golden Showers rose having a good breakfast of aphids and I'm glad that I haven't sprayed...don't think that I will, either.......

Green Light products has a spray with Neem Oil in it which is supposedly very good for white fly. I think it's called "Rose Defense" but it can be used on other plants, not just roses. I've never used it, but have heard people swear by it.

I have used "Immunox with Insecticide"(made by Spectracide) many times for white fly and had great success. The key is in following a regimen of spraying 3 times about 5 days apart to kill each stage of the developing insects: Adults, larva and eggs.

These pests feed and hide on the undersides of foliage, so when you spray, you have to be patient and thoroughly soak the UNDERNEATH side of the foliage. Start at the top of the plant and work your way down.

A tank sprayer with a directable wand works very well. Use a fine mist type of spray and proceed slowly. As you no doubt know, disturbing the plant sends them flying in every direction, so if you use a fine spray and do it gently, you're more apt to get a better application.

Just be sure to follow up with a second and third application.

Like wcgypsy said, years ago they were a huge problem in some areas, especially on Hibiscus and some of the cane type begonias.
(I don't grow hibiscus, but had lots of begonias at that time.) The parasitic wasps seem to have done a good job eliminating the bulk of the problem as I rarely see the enormous infestations anymore.

I'm resisting even spraying water on the aphids because I know the ladybugs and bushtits will be here soon.....I HOPE!

Interesting about the worm castings---I have a productive worm bin, and tons of castings, so I'll defiitely be giving that a try. Thanks for posting!

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but here is a photo of a bushtit nest.
These little birds are incredible for getting rid of aphids. It's amazing.

I find these nests all over the place. VERY COOL.

Oooh, I want some of those nests! Actually, I'll take any bird nest - except crows!!!

Have used the worm castings in a flower box that kept getting white fly and it did work. I think the experiment with worm tea would be a good one, too.

See KC that is what a Bushtit nest looks like. JD you should post it on the backyard bird visitors thread. One of them Bushtits woke me up yesterday pecking on my window.
I try not to spray anything except inside the GH, and even then I use the least amount of non-toxic to beneficial bug spray as possible. Not much of that around. You always loose some good bugs. But at least I'm not loosing the birds too.
I'll show you what I'm using when I see you.
WIB,
SW

I was walking in the greenbelt area and there was Ladybug larva everywhere. It was a great day.

Did you bring any home?
LOL!
WIB,
SW

No. Actually I know it was ladybug larva because last year they were all over my patio by the pool and were on everything. Tables, chairs and anything they could land on. I started squashing them with my hand and for some reason my brain clicked into gear. OMG look what I have done. I will never do that again.

I saw some out in my yard, and was happy to see them. I am a real softy. I carry spiders, and scorpions outside, don't kill anything except ants. Okay, sometimes I feed grasshoppers to my son's pet lizard, and sometimes I feed snails to my chickens, but those are food for them!
Glad you are more in harmony with the beneficial bugs now.
Wait, I positutely hate rodents. That's why I like snakes and cats. LOL!
WIB,
SW

When I visited cousins in NJ and PA one year, they had swarms of lady beetles - that is an experience. They get into the house if there is anything open like a vent and cover everything. They vacuum them up! LOL

Oh, I remember those--those are Asian ladybugs. I don't know exactly what distinguishes them from other lady beetles but for some reason they like to come in and live in buildings. I remember when I was at Indiana University there was one year that they were all over one of the stairwells in the chemistry building.

It was really eerie for this CA girl!

Even though Crane Flies are not a "pest", I've noticed a huge explosion of them recently. Normally I don't start seeing them until May or June, but all of a sudden there are hundreds of them.

Must be our weird weather.

Has anyone else noticed a lot of them around ?

Or 'gully wumpers' as they're known in my family....lol....Yep, they're here, hanging around the door to come in....

Oh, you mean 'skeeter eaters!' Seen a few and yes, a couple got in the house.

Got a bunch. My cats think they are great toys and keep killing them, even though I keep telling them that they are good bugs!
LOL!
WIB!
SW

Whiteflies. When you live in an ag area, you are pretty much doomed to suffer from whatever is bothering the crops in the ag land. I've found that whiteflies aren't much of a problem (other than cosmetic) unless there is a really heavy infestation. I live amongst tomato fields near Sacramento, and come harvest all the whiteflies move from the fields to my garden. I pretty much ignore them. Maybe mildly blast with water if I just can't stand them. Some years and seasons are worse than others. Don't use pesticides...their life cycle is so short that there will be a whole new crop right after you use them, and pesticides hurt many "good" insects. Face it...you are surrounded! Good luck.

Dear Imapigeon,

I have the same attitude about the infestation as you. I tried Neem oil and an expensive Peppermint Oil Spray to get rid of the whiteflies. There were just too many so I did...nothing. Now the Lady Bugs are back in full strength and the dragonflies as well as the House Sparrows are having a good ol' time getting rid of the whiteflies for me...LOL. At least to my untrained eyes, there seems to be about one-quarter of the number than last month at the same time.

As a side note, it seems like something happens every year. Last year it was our hailstorm in the first week of April. This year, it is the whiteflies. I guess, love of gardening is the ability to keep going with your garden even with all the obstacles. All I know is that so far this year, I am really happy with my garden.

Thanks to everybody,

Chuck

I use this stuff
http://www.diatect.com/get-rid-of-white-flies.php

This explains it:
http://www.diatect.com/garden-insect-control-ingredients.php

You can use it on fruits and vegetables so it non-toxic. I've found that it's amazing against most bugs, better than neem oil or even harsher bug killers that I've tried. It leaves a white residue on the leaves of the plants but it did get rid of the white flies on my hellebores and the wooly aphids on my clematis and believe me I tried what I thought was everything on those aphids.

I've just found that I have mealybugs on steroids visiting my potted citrus. These things are like 1/2" long! BLEEEAAAAAHHHHH!

Well, I have a lot of aphids on my lettuce that I'm letting go to seed, and the ladybugs came right along after them. I had a little problem with whiteflies on the new growth of my Arbutus. I saw no ladybugs, nor any beneficials nearby, so i sprayed with Insecticidal Soap made by Safer. I find it works well.

I also find what works is to go Green first, and as a last resort, you may need to use a chemical solution, diluted to its correct concentration. For example, I sprayed the wasp nests (with a nasty chemical) right when they started to build them and have had no new nests so far. I watched a friend spray his nests with a Green product, which only served to anger them, and did not kill them - chasing him into the house! My mother, just hangs dryer sheets from her umbrella table and the walls of the house when she entertains outside, but they live in the woods, and have eaves that are twenty-five feet up. This works pretty well at keeping the wasps away from the barbecue and the meat on our plates. Your solution needs to satisfy you, while considering the environment writ large. When I have to, I use the harsh stuff, but I always exhaust my other resources first.

I always leave the paperwasp nests alone unless they're in a spot where they get easily and frequently agitated by people. I leave them alone and they deal with other pests for me.

Aside from gophers my biggest pests are two leggeds who get into my garden and think they know what they are doing!
I remember that freak hail storm, Chuck. My Bird of Pardise still are shredded. Poor babies. As you say, it is always something.
Luckily, my aphid population is decreasing now that the ladybugs are starting to eat. It helps when them two leggeds don't weed whack the plants that they are living on until AFTER they've hatched out.
Some People!
WIB!
SW

I noticed some of those ladybug babies today near my Nicotianas. I had never known that that is what those bugs were. I don't usually kill bugs in the garden, unless they are a lethal threat to my plants. I don't mind some nibbling here and there. I think chewed leaves remind us that the garden is a living, breathing, entity.

I'm with you there, Jman. Sending a photo of the ladybug and a nympth. (can't spell today, sorry.) I found these on fiddlenecks, and told DH not to weed whack in there. They are migrating all over the garden now. Yippee!
WIB,
SW

YAY---ladybug nymphs appeared on my buggy roses today!!

Yay! They seem to be a little later arriving this year don't they?
WIB,
SW

Yes---the aphids were earlier, too, I think!

Me too!
WIB!
SW

Dear People,

I read a mention of worm castings for controlling whiteflies. Will they also inhibit butterflies and hummingbirds from using the same plants? Also, what about the butterflies with Safer's Soap?

It is finally 56 degrees at home (it has really cooled down from 99.9 degrees two days ago). A little while from now, I am going to make up another to-do list to make up from my hot day to-do list (LOL).

Have a GOOD day!!

Thanks,

Chuck

Chuck, I used the worm castings in the planter under my Passiflora and it didn't seem to make a difference. We had lots of butterflies last year.

Ditto here. I've never had any adverse effects from the worm castings as far as butterflies or hummingbirds go.

Singing Wolf, thanks for the heads up on the nymph. I had seen some around and am glad I did not kill them. They were kinda scary looking. Ladybugs are plentiful, now to keep my five year old 'shadow' from squishing them or collecting them all into the jar. I'm glad he learned English this year, as I was explaining the difference between good bugs and how they eat bad bugs. He went in and released the ladies into the plants. His dad is growing plants to sell at swap meets, but no veggies, so little Fernando was excited when I told him I would share my seeds. Now he is looking for ladybugs and picks them up to put onto plants.

Guess what I found floating in my swimming pool today? That blasted gopher who thought he was going to live in my gh. I guess he couldn't swim. Am NOT sending a photo.
Luckily ES removed it's body for me. I couldn't even lift the pool net today. The weather change is really hurting me. Warmth is better. Never got out of the fifties here today.
WIB,
SW

DEATH to gophers....mmwaaaahahahah!!

lol - glad your gopher is gone (and glad you didn't post a picture, I would've looked at it for sure)