Whitefly

Thanks JWK, I'm kind of upset as I was so excited. There were loads of them in the soil outside and on the Courgettes. I just hope I can get rid before they get all over every leaf.

 

That's exactly the same creature that I caught yesterday, shiney...it was only about 3 miles from home, so hope i don't find any in the garden and greenhouse.

Good luck, Jane... I hope you can get rid of them.

 

I've noticed today they are on the underside of leaves on my trees at bottom of garden. They have got back on my Courgette leaves also and odd ones in greenhouse I keep killing. They seem to be falling from the trees. I don't have apple trees which they tend to like but I do have a cherry tree plus some others. Wish I could get rid but I no sooner spray then there is more from the trees.

 

Hi Jane
Unfortunate you have woolly aphids which attack Apple, pear, prunus, crab apple, pyracantha, cotoneaster, elm, hawthorn and mountain ash trees. As you say your trees are likely to be the source of them as they overwinter in any cracks in the bark of trees then are able to fly in summer. The only treatment I have used to get rid of them is neem oil. however looking at the size of your trees in your previous posts (greenhouse shading) I can not think of how you could treat them. I think you just need to treat your crops as and when you see a build up of aphids.
Regards Sandy

 

Thanks sandymac, Will I still be able to eat the crops as I'll no doubt be spraying these pests constantly. I'm getting quite a lot of these branches cut back on the trees so I'm hoping it will help.

 

Hi,

Seems they have very few natural predators because of their coating, but general opinion is to wash them off with soapy water or meths or that neem oil.

Sounds like their feeding only does cosmetic damage, its if they carry other diseases that would probably see off the plant in the longer term.

With those big trees around you, think I would try covering the doorway and vents with some fine screen mesh so stop them getting in, but it should still allow enough air movement

Places like B&M do cheap insect door screens that you could easily cut and adapt with some clips or gaffer tape.

Have you not noticed them in previous years or is it just this years sudden hot weather thats caused a plague ?

Aphids are always a problem in the greenhouse, soft young plants, warm and still air and they love it, you almost have to inspect all your plants on a daily basis as they can be so easy to miss and when you have older eyes its even easier to miss the little bug....s , just had to out two pot plants as they were covered in them.

 

Oh so you have them also? I've been spraying them with evo washing liquid diluted and it seems to kill them. Having to constantly keep on top of it though I've noticed not many on the courgettes since I sprayed the them and the soil. Never noticed them any other year and don't think we had them last year. I'm hoping getting the trees cut right back will help. I'm well disappointed as it's my first growing year.

I wonder if any of these would be good for the door and the window. These mesh fabric is super fine. But would it keep them out.

 

Hi Jane...I use something similar, my local GC sells it as plant shade and it's a fine mesh and only costs about £2.50 per metre.

I use it mainly to try and keep Bees out ( I was forever catching Bees ) and it works OK, but a few still manage to get in through the vents as I haven't covered those yet.

The holes are about 1.5mm to 2mm, so would probably stop a Wooly Aphid

 

I used those greenhouse clips, the green ones that clip and then twist into the channels in the frame.

 

These are the clips and how they hold the mesh to the door frame.





Hope this is of some use to you, Jane

 

I've got some of the clips and never knew how to use them lol Thanks Sheps

 

Have kept on top of this problem with those Aphids and now not getting many. Getting odd one or two in greenhouse and I just squash them. None in soil though my Courgette leaves seemed to have suffered with the washing liquid spray so I've cut them down and hopefully they'll grow again. Have also been bust cutting back the high trees and in the process of cutting back the rest on the right of pic :-) I'm just really excited to grow things for my very first year and won't let these pesky little ones spoil things LOL