CONTROLLING WHITEFLIES

WHITEFLIES
 

PLANT DAMAGE
Leaves may appear shiny with "dew", and whitish speckles or stippling on the leaves. You may also find clear-white "scales" or larvae on the underside of the leaves. White flies suck plant juices and can easily kill them. They love tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and even lettuce.

INSECT APPEARANCE
You will see several tiny white "moths" resting on the plants. If you gently shake the stems, the white flies will flutter up in a swarm, flying about, then settle back down. They multiply incredibly fast, until the garden is overwhelmed with them.

TREATING LIGHT INFESTATION
Here's a neat trick: Gently shake the plant, and when the flies swarm, suck them up with a vacuum cleaner nozzle! Or set out several bright yellow "sticky traps", which can be found at greenhouse or garden-supply centers.

BIOLOGICAL WARFARE
Whitefly Parasites: Predator Wasps (parasitic, non-stinging wasps); one wasp can kill many whitefly larvae; lacewings also eat the larvae.

CHEMICAL WARFARE
Safer's Insect Killing Soap; or spray with Don’t Bug Me Pyrethrin/Resmethrin every 5-7 days