Whitefly in the greenhouse

Hi,
My tomato crop is now over but the greenhouse is hosting a huge cloud of whitefly.

As a new gardener, can I ask if anyone can tell me the best way to get rid of these blighters. I am recovering from breast cancer so need something that is easy as I cannot lift/stretch/carry too much. What about the empty pots etc that are on the bench, will they harber the little pests or do I have to scrub those??

Thanks
Misty

 

Hi Misty, years ago you used to be able to use something that was like a smoke bomb, you simply lit it and got out quick (remembering to close the door behind you ). I`m not sure, but these may well be still available. I`m sure some of the other folks here will know more on this. Cheers...freddy.

 

I have a sulphur candle that I am going to use. i think it kills everything - diseases, bugs and... people if they are daft enough to stay in.

 

If fumigants are still available to the public( I have only used them in commercial glasshouses), you have to be sure there are no leaks for the smoke to escape or you may get complaints and it should be done on a still evening.

 

I believe that sulphur candles are the only "smoke" controls now available to the general public. I personally would spray the inside of the greenhouse with Jeyes or Armillatox. David.

 

Bit of information on the R H S site Misty,
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0500/whitefly.asp

 

I use these to bump off anything with wings in a heated greenhouse overwintering exotics.

http://www.gocaravanning.com/equipment/product/Mosquito-Smoke-Coils.html

You get 10 coils in the pack, and each burns for about 8 hours. I break them up into four 2 hour pieces, and burn about one a fortnight throughout the winter in a 6x6 greenhouse. Support it on a small piece of scrunched wire netting so that it doesn't burn the staging down. I am not sure whether the winged beasties are killed or cough themselves to death, but the carpet of corpses is impressive.

Most camping shops and outdoor centres will sell them. I found them for �£2.50 a pack last year.

Nik

 

I've a bad case of resistant whitefly in a greenhouse and have been using a mix of equal parts washing up liquid and Neem oil throughout the summer. Get the cold pressed stuff and use at about a 5% conc. (tablespoon of each to pint water seems to work - shake well to emulsify the oil before spraying) You have to apply it fairly regularly but it interefers with their moulting and breeding cycle by mimicking their pheromones.

It's the same stuff that's used in most over the counter nit and headlice treatments so even if it dosen't see off all the white fly you can send the kids into the greenhouse to do the spraying :D

 

I have used a sulphur candle. It looks like everything in there has been naplammed - there were a few weeds and grass poking through the paving, not any more. If any white fly could survive that I don't think you would want to meet them on a dark night.

 

I would also personally use jeyes as i believe it to be the most effective, especially with black and greenfly.

 

The only availabe product for ameteur use is the sulphur candle but it does work well.

The best profeshionsnally available solution Ive found is to ULV fog with permethrin but then again Im also qualified in pestcontrol so have the kit.

 

I use sticky yellow cards in greenhouse and polytunnel. They don't completely eliminate the pest but do reduce it quite a bit. You have to keep them quite close to your plants.