LESS-TOXIC CONTROLS

Organic Neem Oil can be sprayed on vegetables, fruit trees and flowers to kill eggs, larvae and adults. Mix 1 oz/ gallon of water and spray all leaf surfaces (including the undersides of leaves) until completely wet. Horticultural oils, which work by smothering insects, are very effective on all stages of this pest.

If infestations of whiteflies are caught early, they can be controlled by washing them off with a sharp spray of water. Make sure to get the undersides of the leaves, as this is where eggs and nymphs hang out. Natural enemies such as lacewings or parasitic wasps can be effective in controlling whiteflies.

1. Syringe undersides of leaves on sturdy plants with water to wash off whiteflies and honeydew.
2. Vacuum whiteflies in the early morning when they are cold and slow moving.
3. Prune away severely infested portions of the plant.
4. Purchase Beneficial insects.

yellow objects

Whitefly Bites Whiteflies are not known to bite humans, but they do have piercing mouthparts they use to extract fluids from plants. They are very similar to a mosquito.

They are dangerous to humans, as they can pass on diseases to plants. These infected plants are not good for human consumption. With the growing population, ensuring a high yield of crops are vital.

one to two months

Whiteflies are soft-bodied, winged insects closely related to aphids and mealybugs. Despite their name, whiteflies are not a type of fly, though they do have wings and are capable of flying.

At 70ºF, the greenhouse whitefly life cycle takes: 6-10 days for egg hatch, 3-4 days as a nymph I, 4-5 days as nymph II, 4-5 days as nymph III, 6-10 days for the pupa. Adults can live for 30 to 40 days.

It takes about 3 hours of 21 degree Fahrenheit to kill 90% of whitefly adults, but would take 57 hours of 21 degree Fahrenheit to kill 90% of whitefly nymphs (even longer for eggs).

Whiteflies do not fly very far, so many traps may be needed. You may need as many as one trap for every two large plants, with the sticky yellow part of the trap level with the whitefly infestation. Place traps with the sticky side facing plants but out of direct sunlight.

After egg laying, females die and the eggs hatch in 7 to 10 days into tiny yellowish crawlers (nymphs). The long-tailed mealybug is slightly different in that females give birth to living young. The complete life cycle can take six weeks to two months depending on the species and the environmental conditions.

MEALYBUGS TREATMENT

1. Dip cotton balls and swabs in alcohol and remove all visible mealybugs.
2. Mix 1 cup of rubbing alcohol with few drops of Dawn dish soap and 1 quart (32oz) of water.
3. Spray the whole plant, not only where mealybugs are visible.
4. Repeat the treatment once or twice a week until the issue is gone.