How to control whitefly

Whiteflies (or whiteflies) are insect pests that live mainly on the underside of plant leaves. They are exceptionally small and are a big problem in greenhouses as they can get through even the smallest screens. They multiply very quickly and do a lot of damage, in fact in three different ways.

First, they suck the juices from the underside of the leaves. It’s not good, but that’s just the beginning. They then secrete what’s known as ‘Honeydew’, which is a sugar-rich liquid that basically comes out of the whitefly as they suck on the plants. Not just any poop, the sugar-rich Honeydew develops unsightly black mold. It is unsightly and mold prevents sunlight from reaching the leaves, so the plant cannot photosynthesize, the much-needed process to harvest energy from the sun.

And there is more …

They inject their saliva into plants, which is the biggest problem, as their saliva carries a wide variety of plant diseases. So the whitefly sucks, defecates, and spreads disease wherever it goes.

How to control these fools? You will need an all-natural pest control solution. Using traditional synthetic pesticides is not going to cut it as they may not be effective and / or may cause further damage to already distressed plants.

Better to use a pump sprayer for best results. Start day 1 by spraying the top of the plant as if it were raining. This helps create a barrier that these suckers won’t cross, as they typically fly upward when you’re chasing them. After saturating the top of the plant, start at the bottom by spraying the lower sides of the leaves to the best of your ability. Move in circles around the plant so you don’t miss any areas as you ride up to the top.

Do the exact same thing the next day. And the next. By the third day, you should see almost no evidence of whitefly while treating the plant.
If you ever have reason to suspect White Fly, please do so as soon as possible. The damage they cause can be quick AND it can take a while to show up when sometimes it’s too late (those pesky plant diseases take a while to show up …). Continue as needed to remove these plant suckers once and for all!