white fly

Hello i'm new to this site, please could someone tell me how to get rid of white fly, we seem to have them on all our plants and trees ( trees are still young 2-3yrs old)

Thanks
Sue

 

Sorry Sue, whilst there is a lorra whitefly about still, thanks to the warm weather - I'm not sure there is a lot you can do about it now except spray with an insectacide if its damaging your plants, bearing in mind that a lot will soon be dormant and lose their leaves - just ensure that you remove and burn as much as you can. The cold winter forecast may irradicate a lot - then consider introducing nematodes when the temperature is warm enough.

 

Nematodes Fran? :confused:

 

Yes nematodes - there's one specific to whitefly (unless my memory has a gremlin) - but you can't use them until the temperature is 5c or above - so late spring.

I remember I used them one early summer, when my outdoor patio fuchsias were badly hit and I didn't want to use chemicals. Or have my little gray cells failed again :(

 

Well I could be wrong, but I thought the nematodes were for slugs and a different one for vineweevil. I think its a small wasp thats used against white fly, Encarsia.

 

Encarsia - I know for greenhouses - but I was certain there was a nematode for white fly.

My apologies to Suep if my advise was wrong - as no doubt it was.

 

http://www.defenders.co.uk/
Well you might be right Fran, have a look here, they also mention delphastus, not sure what that is.

 

I've been told that whitefly themselves do not do any damage to plants, however the honeydew that they leave invites problems, notably sooty mildew - a black/grey substance, and from this further diseases and problems emanate.

The best solution I've come across is garlic solution! You can buy it at a good garden centre or even make it yourself. It doesn't kill the whitefly, it's totally organic - so no nasty toxins getting into the food chain. The whitefly seem to have an aversion to the smell of this stuff, surprise, surprise, and they go off and infest somebody else's garden.

Regards
Phil

 

Heloo, redfour - welcome to GC.
Great to have you on board and starting off with a suggestion, no less! Great stuff!