How to deal with whitefly on indoor plants and flowers, means for getting rid of the pest + photo

Home / Pests and diseases

Back to

Published: 14.03.2019

Reading time: 5 min

828

3 / 5 ( 1 vote)

This tiny butterfly, the body of which does not exceed one and a half millimeters in length, is called by gardeners "the white death" - this name suits her perfectly. Whiteflies harm plants at all stages of their development. The tiny grubs do even more damage than adult butterflies.

You can see them on cabbage, strawberries, grapes, apple trees, roses, raspberries, currants, strawberries, eggplants. Figuratively speaking, the whitefly is omnivorous, found on any vegetable garden, berry fields, fruit trees.

Only complex methods can be used to successfully combat a pest. If you do not do this, then soon after the appearance of several butterflies on the site, you will see their whole hordes, and, accordingly, dying vegetation.

Have questions? Ask and get useful advice from professional gardeners and experienced summer residents. Ask a question >>

1 General
2 Where and when do whiteflies appear
3 Preventive measures
4 Chemical means of protection
5 Folk methods of plant protection

What does a whitefly look like?

The whitefly (Latin Aleyrodidae) is a small sucking insect. The appearance of the pest resembles a tiny yellowish-white moth, the body length of which does not exceed 1-2 mm. The wings of the insect, as well as its entire body, are covered with a powdery wax coating that resembles flour. Eggs of grayish color are laid by females of 10-20 pcs. They are attached on short stalks to the inside of the leaf surface. In case of favorable weather conditions, the fertility of one female can be about 300 eggs.

The greenish larvae emerging from the eggs are oval in shape. They are also endowed with antennae and three pairs of legs, which allow them to move around in search of a suitable place. After the larva adheres to the leaf, it loses its legs and antennae. At the same time, it becomes almost motionless and looks like a tiny whitish scale.

Gradually, the size of the larva increases, and it itself becomes covered with a white bloom. Immediately after the third molt, it hardens, forming a "false" cocoon. During this period, the pest stops feeding, its antennae and legs grow again, and the formation of an adult insect begins. The time of its development depends on external conditions, but usually it lasts from 3 to 5 weeks.

Leaves of plants damage mainly whitefly larvae, and they mainly prefer young leaves. With a large number of insects, they attack all parts of the plants, quickly moving to neighboring ones. Light spots appear on the top of the leaves.

Sugar secretions produced by the larvae are considered very dangerous - they are able to tighten the leaves like sticky honeydew. These secretions provoke the appearance of a sooty fungus, which clogs the leaf stomata and closes the surface from sunlight.

As a result of infection of plants with whitefly, sticky leaves dry out and buds are deformed. The plant quickly loses its foliage and may die.Most often, the insect settles on begonias, fuchsia, passionflower, balsam, lanthanum and pelargonium.

However, if these plants are not in the house, then the whitefly pest attacks other indoor plants. In greenhouses, she prefers cucumbers and tomatoes, although many other plants also suffer from it.

Description and types of whitefly

In the wild, there are about two hundred species of this parasite. Once whiteflies lived exclusively in warm regions of the world, but now they have spread almost everywhere, affecting not only greenhouse and vegetable crops, but also indoor plants.

The most common types of whitefly are:

Tobacco (cotton) whitefly the most common type of this parasite, native to South Asia. Feels comfortable at high temperatures and humidity. Transfers many viral plant infections.
Greenhouse (greenhouse) whitefly... Originally from South America. Most often found in residential buildings and greenhouses, it affects indoor plants. This species reproduces all year round and is carried with the wind.
Citrus whitefly... She came to us from South Asia. Despite the name, it affects not only citrus fruits, but also many other plant species, both in the open field and in our houses. In Russia, its main habitat is the Caucasus (Black Sea coast).

What does a whitefly look like? Tiny butterflies, only 1.3 mm long in females and up to 2.5 mm in males, together with their voracious larvae, cause great harm to indoor flowers. The whitefly looks like a miniature white moth. Its wings and body are covered with a powdery white waxy pollen. It is a sucking parasite and carrier of phytopathogenic viruses.

Whitefly leaf
On plants affected by whitefly, the leaves become discolored, curl, the buds turn yellow and fall off, the plants lose their vitality and, if not taken proper measures, may die.

Whitefly reproduce very actively. Females hide under leaves. In the same place, on the underside of the leaves, they lay eggs, and each female lays up to 300 eggs per month.

The larvae appear instantly. They have a grayish color and an oval flattened shape. Immediately, as soon as they hatch from the egg, they are able to independently move around the plant in search of food. As soon as the place is found, the larva attaches itself to the plant with its whole body, tucking its legs, and begins to work with its glands, which create a wax cocoon on the surface of the leaf. At this stage of development, the larvae are protected from exposure to contact insecticides.

Larvae next to adults

The larvae feed on plant sap and, under suitable conditions, turn into an adult in less than 2 weeks. Adult females explore new territories in your flower garden and lay new eggs.

The main danger in the appearance of whiteflies on our indoor flowers is that all kinds of drugs that kill adults do not work on the larvae that are hidden in a strong cocoon.

Females constantly lay eggs, and new larvae appear at intervals of several days, but if you find an uninvited guest on flowers in time, you can deal with it.

It may be interesting: Mealybug - how to deal with a dangerous pest?

The main causes of infection

In most cases, whiteflies attack plants that are grown when:

high temperature;
high humidity;
excessive plant density;
stale air.

Often, the pest settles in greenhouses, where all the factors listed above are present. Whiteflies feel comfortable in mini-greenhouses, which the owners of the apartments arrange on the windowsills in order to grow seedlings.

Therefore, at high humidity temperatures, attention must be paid to the natural movement and supply of fresh air. In addition, purchased soil or already infected plants can become a source of infection. The easiest and most commonplace way for a pest to enter an apartment is an open window or window.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Chemicals

Benefits:

Large selection of drugs on the market for pest control;
They have a prolonged action;
Effectively destroy whitefly and other harmful insects;
Some of the chemicals contain substances that stimulate plant growth.

Disadvantages:

The high cost of certain chemicals;
Some insecticides tend to accumulate in the ground and fruits;
Some drugs pose a threat to humans, animals and beneficial insects.

Fighting whitefly folk remedies

The easiest way to get rid of whiteflies is to wipe the leaves with a sponge soaked in water. With this simple procedure, you can destroy a large number of both adult insects and larvae. However, it can only be used when the whitefly has chosen a houseplant. To reduce the number of pests, it is enough to perform the procedure at least once every 10 days.

For greater efficiency of this method, you can use not ordinary water, but a soap solution. To prepare it, you need to grind the laundry soap and dissolve it in water in a ratio of 1: 6. You need to wipe the leaves with a solution previously whipped into a foam. The same liquid can be used to spray infected plants. This must be done carefully, trying to prevent the solution from getting on the ground.

Another method of fighting whitefly is the use of garlic infusion. To prepare it, you need to chop a few garlic cloves, immediately fill them with water (1 liter) and leave to infuse in a dark place. At the end of the day, the solution can be filtered and engaged in the spraying procedure. It can be repeated as needed.

You can get rid of whitefly on flowers using tobacco. To do this, you need to purchase one pack of good cigarettes, grind them well, pour hot water (1 liter) and leave to infuse in a dark place. After 5 days, spraying can be carried out, having previously filtered the resulting solution. The procedure should be carried out once every 3 days until the pests disappear completely.

Signs of whitefly infection of an indoor flower

It is not difficult to guess about the appearance of whitefly butterflies on your pets by some signs:

At the slightest touch of the plant, they fly up over the flower pot like a white cloud and settle on the nearest flowers, shelves, even on the windowsill.
On the upper side of the leaf, you can see spots of a shiny, sticky plaque, similar to sugar streaks. This whitefly secretes honeydew (pad) on the surface of the leaves - traces of its vital activity.
On the underside of the leaves, you can see clusters of adult insects, eggs and larvae, similar to white translucent scales.
First white and then black spots appear on the affected leaves - this is the result of the development of a sooty fungus - the eternal companion of honeydew.
The houseplant lags behind noticeably in growth, stops developing, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, it may die.

Using traps

Whitefly traps can be purchased at a specialist store. They are yellow cardboard impregnated with a special glue that is safe for people. A pest on the surface of the trap sticks to it tightly. In addition, these devices can be used to catch other insects, such as mushroom gnats or spider mites.

In search of a method on how to get rid of whitefly on flowers, many growers make such traps on their own.For manufacturing, a sheet of bright yellow cardboard is required, which must be coated with a mixture of castor oil, petroleum jelly, honey and rosin. The trap should hang near the flowerpot on a metal or wooden holder. They can also be installed in greenhouses - for a room with an area of 10 square meters. just one trap is enough.

Preventive actions

During the growing season and at the end of the season, carefully remove all crop residues and weeds so that adults of whiteflies and other pests do not lay eggs on them.
Be sure to disinfect the greenhouse and soil in the fall.
Perform the agrotechnical measures provided for by the technology in the open field.
During the growing season, do not overfeed the plants, especially with nitrogen fertilizers, strictly follow the irrigation regime.
If you are in organic farming, then to protect crops from whitefly, you can add the macrolophus bug and the amblyseius tick to the crops of the predatory bug, especially in greenhouses and greenhouses. They significantly reduce the whitefly population. You can buy them in specialized retail outlets and populate them according to the recommendations.
During the growing season, it is sometimes enough to prepare a strong solution of laundry soap (not bleaching) and sprinkle the plants or rinse with a stream of cold water.

A leaf of a plant affected by a whitefly. <>

How to deal with whitefly with chemicals?

If the number of pests has increased so much that traditional methods and traps do not help get rid of them, then you will have to use chemical preparations for the whitefly. Aktara is a proven and reliable remedy. The drug is used for soil cultivation, as well as for spraying insect-infested plants. To increase the effectiveness of the product, you can use it by combining it with Actellik.

You can also fight whitefly on indoor plants using Tanrek. The result of processing with this tool is immediately noticeable, and it lasts almost a month, even at high air temperatures. Fitoverm gives good results.

The use of this biological insecticide is completely safe for plants and humans. Together with it, you can use Mospilan, Benzyl benzoate, Thiazipir and other drugs. When treating plants with any of the above products, it is recommended to add a small amount of soap or shampoos to the solution. This will help improve the adherence of the substances to the infected leaf surfaces.

Whitefly harm

The white-winged moth damages more than 200 plant species. It loves to breed and feed in warm, humid places. The favorite habitat of the pest is considered to be greenhouses, greenhouses and remote abandoned places in vegetable gardens, which receive the least attention.

The whitefly loves to feed on agricultural plants. You can expect its appearance in the fields and gardens where potatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, legumes and pumpkin grow. The insect pays special attention to delicate plants such as geranium flowers, orchids and violets.

The main harm from the appearance of whiteflies:

Loss of crops. By reducing the development of the plant, butterflies damage the plant, which negatively affects the timing of flowering, the formation of fruits, their development and growth. The affected plant cannot bear fruit and is unusable.
Death of the plant. Since the insect and its larvae feed on the sap of the plant, it is impossible to overestimate the harm of the whitefly. The gluttonous offspring of the insect eats the sap of the plant more than is necessary for its development, and the rate of reproduction of the butterfly is so high that in the absence of a fight against the whitefly, you can lose bushes by dozens, or even hundreds.
The emergence of various diseases. Special attention should be paid to the fact that the butterfly is a carrier of various bacteria and viruses.The appearance of an insect can provoke the development of verticillary wilting, powdery mildew, cladosporia and bacterial rot.
The appearance of sooty mushrooms. In the process of vital activity, whitefly larvae produce a sweet liquid, which becomes an excellent place for fungi to settle. During development, the mycelium can cover the entire leaf, which leads to a decrease in photosynthesis.

More than 200 plant species are harmed by this moth

Prevention of the appearance of whitefly in the greenhouse

In order to prevent the appearance of a greenhouse whitefly, attention should be paid to comprehensive preventive measures. Even if no insect is found in the greenhouse, disinfectant treatment must be carried out every year after harvest. It is imperative to remove weeds that may contain larvae. In addition, when buying seedlings and seeds, you need to make sure that they are strong and healthy.

A good method of preventing the appearance of a whitefly in a greenhouse is freezing in the winter. It is necessary to wait for frost, and when the temperature on the thermometer is below -12 degrees, the greenhouse should be left open for several days. At this air temperature, pests will not be able to survive.

How do you recognize a whitefly?

Recognizing a whitefly is not at all difficult. This insect looks like a small butterfly a few millimeters in size. The pest is similar to a moth, has elongated white wings, resembling flower petals.

If you notice small butterflies flying near plants in your garden or in a greenhouse, you should definitely inspect the bushes on the site.

When exploring the territory, pay attention to the following signs:

if there is a flock of moths when shaking the plants;
the plants are healthy or their stems begin to dry out, and the leaves lag behind in development;
whether white neoplasms (moth larvae) are on the outside of the leaf;
whether honeydew appeared on the leaves of the plants (the liquid secreted by the whitefly during feeding).

Since the butterfly is very tiny in size, many elderly gardeners do not notice it at the first stages. This insect multiplies rapidly and gives up to 15 generations during the year, therefore, the fight against the problem most often begins only when the summer resident notices huge flocks of pests while moving the plant.

The whitefly butterfly is considered a harmful insect.

How to prevent whitefly from appearing in home flowers?

The appearance of such a pest, which is dangerous for plants and resistant to various methods of pest control, is easier to prevent. To do this, it is enough to carry out the following preventive measures:

Make sure that the moisture in the pallets does not stagnate.
Flowerpots should be arranged, avoiding strong crowding;
Sanitize regularly. These include removing plant debris from the soil, pruning drying leaves, inflorescences and shoots.
Ventilate the premises periodically.
Carry out a weekly quarantine for the newly acquired plant.
Carry out a sterilization procedure for the soil if the planting soil mixture is prepared independently and was brought from a vegetable garden or forest.
Conduct shower procedures for plants, except for those that have contraindications to them.

When inspecting plants every day, special attention should be paid to the seamy side of the leaves. This will allow you to notice in time the appearance of not only the harmful whitefly, but also many other pests.

Signs of plant damage by whitefly

It is very easy to notice a plant affected by a pest. Stopping receiving the required amount of nutrients, the plant begins to dry out. It weakens, the leaves begin to curl, and the stem withers. Leaves can also lose their usual color and turn light green or yellow.The underside of the leaf is home to larvae that spread bacteria in their feces.

The appearance of sooty fungi on the plant further aggravates the situation. A plant affected by butterflies becomes covered with a sticky dark coating, which prevents it from getting enough sun and letting new shoots start. All this prevents the plant from going through all stages of development, from youth to aging, and leads to loss of yield and early death.

Appearance, features and signs of the appearance of a whitefly

Before poisoning a pest butterfly, you need to know what it looks like, where it most often appears and how to find it.

Often, due to the sticky substance that whiteflies secrete, soot fungi appear on infected plants - a dangerous fungal disease. This greatly aggravates the situation and interferes with treatment.

Description:

whitefly — a small insect;
adults can be up to 2 mm in length;
the body is yellow;
wings - slightly longer than the body, covered with pollen;
this pest is very fond of legumes and vegetables, especially tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers and beans;
the whitefly lays its eggs (up to 280 per season) on the back of the leaves;
eggs - outwardly very similar to small semolina;
the larvae are translucent, can move along the leaves of plants, feed on their sap and leave behind a trail of a transparent sticky liquid that attracts ants and causes the appearance of fungal diseases.

The photo shows the whitefly and its larvae. You can check if the plant is affected by butterflies by disturbing its leaves. If there are whiteflies on the plant, they will fly apart.
Signs of appearance:

the larvae of butterflies suck out the sap of the plant, it becomes weakened, does not bear fruit, develops slowly, the root system also becomes weaker;
larvae and adult whiteflies can be seen on the leaves, usually on the back;
black spots appear on the plant - a fungus;
whitefly punctures and discolored spots are noticeable on the leaves.

How to get rid of whitefly on indoor flowers

Fuchsia

Whitefly can also live on indoor plants, such as fuchsia. This pest is thermophilic, and fuchsia has a fairly high resistance to cold. Therefore, if you transfer it to a cool balcony and leave it there for a while, this will lead to the death of the pest. Also, to combat this insect, you can use a harmless folk remedy: in 1 tbsp. warm water (about 50 degrees) dissolve 2 tsp. granulated sugar and immediately process the bush with this composition. Of the pesticides, it is best to choose Actellik for processing fuchsia.

Hibiscus

Remember that after settling on an indoor hibiscus, the whitefly can immediately fly to other plants located nearby. In this regard, the fight against the pest must be started as soon as it is detected. In this case, as in all the others described above, a soap solution and dandelion infusion are used. If such folk remedies do not bring the desired result, then the bushes are treated with Aktara's solution.

Whitefly settles on indoor plants at least as often as on garden and horticultural crops. At home, it very quickly spreads to all plants, and this must be taken into account when choosing a method to combat a pest. Experienced flower growers recommend first washing the infected bush with a solution of soap, rinsing it thoroughly with clean water, and then spraying it with an insecticidal preparation, having previously transferred it to the street.

The simplest methods of pest control are effective only at the initial stage of infection. The fact is that they are designed to destroy the usual life cycle of the whitefly.

Traditional methods

Gardeners and summer residents in their small areas prefer to cope with the invasion of the parasite using folk methods. The advantage of these methods is the absolute environmental friendliness of the fruit.

An effective method can be called wiping with water. But the method is only suitable for indoor plants and a small amount of seedlings. A sponge is taken, moistened in water and the leaves are wiped with it. The method is painstaking, but you know for sure that you removed all the larvae.
The composition of water and laundry soap is prepared in a ratio of 1 part soap to 6 parts water. Water the soil, but not hard, so as not to harm the roots and the plant. Repeat in a week.
Garlic tincture is prepared from 2 large cloves of garlic and 1 liter of hot water. Leave to infuse overnight and then spray.
Yarrow tincture is prepared at the rate of 90 g of leaves per 1 liter of water. Let it brew for 2 days and spray the plants. Repeat 3 times in a week.
Tobacco solution. Experienced gardeners recommend using Prima cigarettes. Tobacco from them is poured into a jar and filled with water. Let it brew for 5 days, strain and spray. Repeat the treatment until the midge disappears completely.
Dandelion tincture is prepared from 40 g of leaves, 40 g of roots, which are crushed and filled with water. Let it brew for 4 days, strain and process the plants.
Ammonia is diluted with 35 ml per 1 bucket of water. Treatment with ammonia is carried out every 3 days.
Birch tar is a part of tar tincture. Diluted with 5 ml per 10 liters of water.
The vinegar solution is prepared as follows: 5 tbsp is taken for 10 liters of water. vinegar essence.

Preventive measures

In autumn (late October - early November), for prevention purposes, it is recommended to dig deep into the soil, destroying all the weeds. The whitefly is negatively affected by frost, and at temperatures below -15 ° C, it dies.

Autumn digging of soil

Before placing seedlings in the ground, you need to carry out quarantine measures, carefully check the seedlings for pests. The reason for their appearance can be high air humidity and poor ventilation of the plantings. To avoid catastrophe, it is necessary to provide the crops with normal conditions.

You can defeat the whitefly using other insects, for example, encarzia, which completely exterminates the pest. You can buy it in biological laboratories or vegetable-growing state farms. The butterfly also has natural enemies; it is afraid of lacewings and ladybirds. Whitefly is an intractable insect, but it can also be successfully dealt with. The scale of the defeat will tell you the best method of struggle.

A source

Varieties of whitefly that infect indoor plants

This insect looks like a white butterfly, very similar to a moth, but only of a tiny size. This insect, which barely reaches 0.4 cm in length, got its name due to the color of the wings, as if sprinkled with starch. However, what we mistake for starch is a bloom of wax.

The body of this midge is pale yellow in color and is also not devoid of a waxy coating. The whitefly has elongated antennae and eyes on its head. The insect lays very small eggs that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The larva of this pest is wingless, a little less than a millimeter in size, with an oval flat body. The shell of the larvae is colorless at first, and then becomes whitish.

Many different species of this pest live in the natural environment, but you have to fight on your own at home with these types of whiteflies:

greenhouse or greenhouse - loves a warm environment very much and lives exclusively in houses and buildings of protected ground;
cotton or tobacco - an omnivorous insect that prefers humid air and heat;
giant - capable of causing great harm to ornamental crops;
citrus - particular preference is given to citrus crops.

Important! If small white midges are found on indoor flowers, this indicates that the plants are inhabited by one of the above species of whitefly.

Causes of occurrence, and how are pests dangerous?

For no reason, white butterflies cannot appear in a person's dwelling and colonize an indoor flower. This undesirable phenomenon is always due to something.

They can enter the house in the following ways:

through an open door or window;
together with the soil that the pots are filled with;
on the leaves of purchased plants;
on a person's clothes or shoes.

The white midge that has got into the house must have certain conditions for life and reproduction. Cool ventilated rooms are not suitable for her. She will not be able to live in such an environment.

Attention! The ideal environment for the whitefly is a hot, unventilated room with high air humidity. If the plants are densely placed in such a house, this is an additional bonus for a prosperous life and reproduction of the pest.

All stages of insect development, with the exception of eggs, have a harmful effect on indoor flowers. The growth of larvae and their development occurs due to the sap, which they suck from the tissues of indoor flowers. Weakened plants slow down their development and begin to dry out slowly.

Adult butterflies lay sweetish excrement on their leaves, on which a sooty fungus settles. The fungal organism, developing, causes blackening and decay of the foliage and stems of the plant.

We must not forget that whiteflies are often carriers of causative agents of incurable viral diseases:

mosaic;
chlorosis;
curliness of leaves;
jaundice.

Important! Indoor flowers with viral diseases do not need to be treated. They should be thrown away mercilessly.

What harm does the whitefly do and why is it bad

As we indicated above, in favorable conditions, the life cycle of an insect is only 20 days from egg to adult.

On the 25th day of its life cycle, Whitefly is already capable of producing offspring.

It is known that the insect dies at temperatures below + 10 ° C, and the eggs can wait out the temperature drop.

Larvae emerge from the eggs and begin to suck the juice from the leaves. In the process of such vital activity, they secrete a lot of sticky secretions and actively move around.

Then the larvae move on to their next stage of development, become immobilized and become covered with a waxy coating. In this state, the larvae can no longer be treated with insecticides. From them decay products come out in the form of a liquid, which is preferred by fungi, from which the lower surface of the leaves turns black, the processes of photosynthesis are disrupted. Such a symbiotic relationship: insect, larva, fungi - destroys the plant in a few days.

If you see a black bloom, then such a plant is almost impossible to save. It must be destroyed in order to protect other plantings from infection.

If only adults and laid eggs are seen, as well as larvae in the form of grains without a wax coating on the lower leaves of plants, it is worth fighting this scourge.

If you do nothing, then in a month all your plants will be destroyed by huge colonies of small white midges.

Under what conditions does a whitefly appear

Indoor plant lovers should know that the ideal conditions for the emergence of whitefly are a warm and humid environment, as well as an increased overcrowding of plants. Therefore, they very often prefer greenhouses and greenhouses.

Also, the pest can enter the house as part of the soil mixture (larvae and eggs often remain in the ground) during the reproduction of plants. Can be brought in with a sick specimen of indoor flower or with a bouquet of wildflowers. But the pest is very afraid of the cold. So, already at a temperature of 10 degrees, both moths and larvae die. Only eggs are able to withstand frost and wait for summer.

The reasons for the appearance of the pest

Since this parasite flies, it can often enter the house simply through a window or open window.Additional factors that attract these insects are warmth, damp and stale air, as well as a heap of plants. Not surprisingly, whiteflies often "attack" greenhouses where all these conditions exist. However, whitefly on indoor flowers may appear due to a mini-room greenhouse, created for rooting seedlings or cuttings. The cause of the infection can be a diseased plant that has recently appeared in the house, or soil containing larvae.

About the drug Admiral

Admiral ® is a new insecticide with a unique mechanism of action against piercing-sucking pests. Admiral is a synthetic analogue of a juvenile hormone that disrupts the growth and development of harmful insects. Drug number 1 in Russia for the fight against the Californian scale insect and greenhouse whitefly.

Admiral advantages:

Provides high efficiency against pests
High initial speed of action
Has a delayed action, i.e. lethal effect is achieved not only during processing, but also in the subsequent stages of the pest
Long period of protective action
Practically non-toxic for beneficial insects and entomophages. Hazard class for bees - 3 (low hazard)
Not phyto toxic
Economical to use, has no restrictions when used in tank mixes Widely used in integrated garden protection systems
Hazard class 3 for humans (moderately hazardous compound)

Control methods

An annoying and dangerous pest is fought in different ways. For some, only folk remedies that have no chemistry and are safe for humans are acceptable, and someone does not see any other way how to quickly destroy midges with the help of insecticides and chemicals.

A feature of the treatment with poisons is the regular repetition of the procedure until the whitefly is completely destroyed. The fact is that the poison acts only on larvae and adults, but not on eggs. Therefore, repeated spraying is done in order to destroy the hatched larvae before their ability to reproduce.

It should be remembered that toxic substances accumulate in vegetables and their use in food can be dangerous. Therefore, you should adhere to the proportions established by the manufacturer, which are described in the instructions attached to the insecticides.

Remember

Start fighting the whitefly on time. The insect multiplies rapidly and spreads throughout the site. If you do not start treatment in a timely manner, the pest will attract sooty fungus, which will further weaken the plants.
Observe preventive measures to keep the whitefly out of the area: weed, cultivate the land and greenhouses, and quarantine new plants.
Use folk remedies if possible. They act more slowly, but they are much safer for health and do not accumulate in the soil.
Observe safety rules when working with chemicals: work only with a respirator and gloves, and after all work, wash your hands and face thoroughly.

Prophylaxis

Everyone knows that disease is better prevented than cured. In order for no parasites to disfigure your indoor flowers, you must:

prevent stagnation of water in the pallets;
keep plants at a distance from each other;
quarantine each new plant for 10 days;
regularly ventilate the room;
systematically carry out sanitary cleaning of plants;
any soil mixture brought from the garden must be sterilized;
periodically wipe the leaves or wash your plants under running water.

If you adhere to all the rules of prevention, then no pest will disfigure your indoor flowers.

Where to find the whitefly

A butterfly can be seen simply flying over a flower or plant. In appearance, it resembles a white moth. If you suspect it, the plant is shaken.If there is a whitefly on it, then the pest will immediately fly up and there will be at least a dozen insects that soar into the air. In addition, the parasite can be detected by turning the lower leaves.

Popular: Measures to combat powdery mildew on roses

There, there will be a lot of scales. These are butterfly larvae. And also on the leaves sticky clots of sweet honeydew are observed. It is a butterfly waste. After that, a sooty fungus begins to develop on the leaves of the plant. Dark spots form on the surface of the plants, the flower stops growing. Its foliage begins to turn yellow and curl.

The best conditions for the development of a butterfly on flowers is a wet summer. The temperature at this time is quite high, and the air is saturated with moisture.

If the temperature drops below ten degrees, the pest dies, but the eggs continue to develop. Therefore, when the temperature gets low, the moth prefers to move to greenhouses and greenhouses with poor air flow.

Therefore, plants in the beds in greenhouses are not recommended to be planted too close, they are often ventilated. It is not necessary to spray them at a humid temperature. Strengthening the health of crops occurs by enriching the soil with biostimulants.

Insect description

Whitefly is a dangerous sucking parasite that looks like a small white moth, up to 3 mm in length. The larvae of this insect pull the sap of the plant and are carriers of phytopathogenic viruses, which together can destroy the flower in a short time. In total, there are more than two hundred species of these insects in the world. However, for cultivated plants, both garden and indoor, the main enemies are citrus, tobacco (or cotton) and greenhouse whiteflies.

Adult insects can fly, so they easily move from one plant to another. The larvae are inactive, but when they stick to the plant, they secrete a waxy coating, which, among other things, can protect them from poisons. Myrtle, fuchsias, various ferns, geraniums, eucalyptus, gloxinia, calla lilies, nightshade, pomegranate, henbane lantana are especially often victims of whitefly.

Development stages of the parasite

An adult butterfly reaches a size, depending on the species, from one and a half to three millimeters. During the developmental stages, this butterfly goes through several stages.

How does the whitefly breed? First, an egg is laid, which then turns into a larva, after which it turns into a nymph. An adult butterfly is subsequently formed from the nymph.

The difficulty of the fight lies in the fact that on one bush there can be several stages of pest development and adult butterflies at once. The most difficult thing is to fight eggs and nymphs, because during this period the whitefly is practically invulnerable.

The easiest way to kill the pest larvae. In the focus of the population, about 50% are insect eggs, and the larvae are about 40%. The adult lays eggs on the underside of the leaf. The number of such eggs can reach almost three hundred. At the same time, they have increased vitality and almost everything survive. The average temperature for the life of the parasite is 18-24 degrees. If the temperature reaches 30 degrees, then the long life of insects is reduced.

If during processing the temperature for the survival of the parasite is optimal, then, therefore, they multiply rapidly. In this case, the grower needs to do more treatments.

Insect features

Before considering the methods of struggle, you should find out what a whitefly looks like. The insect belongs to the Aleurodid family, which includes more than 1500 species of agricultural pests. So there is cabbage, strawberry, citrus, greenhouse and tobacco whitefly.

Whitefly

This article will focus on the greenhouse or greenhouse whitefly. It harms not only greenhouse crops, but also indoor plants.The insect is a small butterfly up to 2-3 mm, very similar to aphids. Its wings are covered with a white, flour-like coating. The insect reproduces quite actively. The female lays eggs on the inside of a leaf of a houseplant. And after 10-12 days, the larvae are born, which after 2 weeks turn into adults. It is at this stage of development that insects are most dangerous, since, thanks to a strong cocoon, they are resistant to various chemicals.

At the end of the process of transformation into an adult, the white midge begins to actively feed and mate. This moment is the most optimal option for combating whitefly, since an already formed organism is more susceptible to insecticidal preparations.

Protection methods

The fight against whitefly in the open field is carried out in various ways. Let's consider each of them.

Mechanical methods

Traps are an effective way to control whitefly. True, it is used to kill only adults. To make a trap at home, you need a piece of cardboard or plastic. Cover the product with bright yellow paint and non-drying glue. The glue mixture is prepared from honey, castor oil, petroleum jelly and rosin. Butterflies, as well as spider mites, mosquitoes, aphids will fly into a yellow trap and stick to the surface. Sticky fly tapes work the same way. Traps should be placed in the garden near the affected plants.

Important! In spring, during flowering, it is not recommended to use traps-traps. You can kill beneficial insects that pollinate your crop.

Chemicals

However, in order to remove pests, it is often necessary to use chemicals. With strong insect infestations, this is indispensable. In the fight, chemicals are used for flowers, vegetables, berries and other plants:

Fitoverm. For two treatments with a break a week, you can lime both butterflies and their offspring.

Aktara. With an insecticide solution (1 bag per 3 liters of water), you need to water the plant at the root and sprinkle the foliage. One treatment protects against pests for 1.5 months.

"Spark". The tool comes in the form of a solution, powder, tablets or sticks. It should be used strictly according to the instructions. The effect of the Iskra treatment lasts for almost a month.

Tepeki. Some call it "Tepikin". The solution is prepared at the rate of 140 g of funds per 1 hectare of area. The poison is not addictive, it acts instantly.

Inta-Vir (Intavir). Dissolve 1.5 tablets in a bucket of water. No more than three treatments per season are allowed.

"Antitlya". The solution is prepared according to the instructions for use. The product is not addictive. One treatment is enough. Although it happens that it is not possible to get rid of the pest forever. In this case, the processing can be repeated.

Whitefly chemicals

Biological agents

The most harmless methods for health are biological. The following biological products are used:

"Bitoxibacillin". When sprayed, endotoxins from food enter the pest's body and increase acidity. The insect dies from intoxication.

Aktofit. The drug contains the active substance aversectin, which has a paralyzing effect on the butterfly's body.

"Verticillin". The spores of the fungus contained in the preparation penetrate inside the pest and begin to grow, affecting the entire body.

People's councils

A very strong effect is achieved if etched with a solution of ammonia. It is prepared in a proportion of 50 ml per 10 liters of water. For better retention on leaves and stems, it is advised to add soap to the solution (soap, shower gel, shampoo). Spraying is carried out in dry, calm weather every three days. Ammonia is also useful in that it enriches plants with nitrogen.

Spraying plants with ammonia

Gardeners often fight harmful insects with wood ash. It is used dry and in the form of an infusion. Dry sprinkle the plant and soil throughout the site. The result will be better if you mix tobacco dust (makhorka, gutted cigarettes or cigarettes without a filter, such as "Prima") to the ash. And the solution (infusion) is prepared as follows:

a glass of dry ash is mixed with half a bucket of warm water and left to infuse for 4–5 hours;
add 50 g of grated laundry soap to the mixture (a quarter of a piece);
everything should be mixed well (until the soap is completely dissolved) and the plantings should be treated with the resulting composition for three days in a row.

In small areas, you can get rid of insects with a solution of tar (green) soap. To do this, the grated soap is mixed with water in a ratio of 1: 6, the soap solution is shaken until a stable foam is formed and the stems and leaves moistened with a sponge are smeared on both sides.

Preparing the soap solution

The same solution can be used to spray around bushes and soil. You just need to make sure that a lot of liquid does not penetrate into the ground. Tar soap is not good for plants. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated after 7 days. You can also use some herbal infusions.

Dandelion. The rhizomes and leaves of the plant (about 100 g) are poured with a liter of water and after 2-3 days the plantings are sprayed with the resulting infusion. This will scare away the pest.

Yarrow. 100 g of leaves are poured with a liter of water and after two days, the affected plants are treated.

Tobacco. It is necessary to pour a quarter of a pack of tobacco with a liter of water, insist in a dark place for a week and filter. Process the vegetable garden every three days.

There are plants that repel pests. These include common tansy. Her butterfly does not like very much.

Common tansy

Garlic fights great whitefly, or rather, an infusion from it. It is necessary to crush three cloves and add a liter of water. Before use, the garlic tincture is kept for 24 hours. Treatment (plant + soil) is recommended to be carried out at least three times with intervals of 7 days. There are also fans of pest control solutions:

birch tar;
iodine;
vinegar;
trichopolis;
soda.

Preventive actions

The fight against whitefly can continue all season, because this white butterfly cannot always be destroyed the first time. The use of chemicals negatively affects human health, the vegetable crop itself and animals.

Therefore, it is easier to prevent the appearance of a whitefly than to fight it all summer. The whitefly did not appear in the greenhouse, it is necessary to plant the plants in the greenhouse when there is a constant flow of air and ventilation. The temperature regime should be no higher than 15 degrees. Tomatoes are planted with decent spacing between the bushes. Before the plants are planted in the greenhouse, the greenhouse is painted with fresh paint, the tops and grass are removed from the last year. The soil of the greenhouse is dug up.

During the winter months, do not leave compost in the garden so that the whitefly trapped in it cannot overwinter. In severe frosts, the greenhouse must be opened so that the soil is properly frozen. When buying ready-made seedlings, you should inspect the plants so as not to bring the pest with it.

Lightly sprinkle the substrate in the greenhouse with ash. These insects do not like her very much, so they will definitely not settle in the greenhouse. To reduce the likelihood of contracting whitefly, the plant should be regularly treated with fortifying agents and preparations.

Flowers that grow on windowsills are recommended to be wiped with a damp cloth from time to time. At this time, the beginning insect infestation can be seen in a timely manner. At these times, you can still cope with the butterfly by setting traps or processing with soap, tobacco solution. After the crops are harvested in the greenhouse, the soil should be disinfected.Infected plants can be taken outside if the temperature there is below 10 degrees Celsius, but not less than 5 degrees. In this temperature regime, the plants survive, and the adults of the pest die.

Now read:

Planting to decorate the site with three types of conifers
How Chinese cabbage is grown outdoors
Choosing cucumbers for open ground according to your preferences
Delicate, easy-care coniferous bushes in garden plots

About

Chief agronomist of the Limited Liability Company "Association of Peasant (Farming) Farms" Kuznetsovskaya "", Ilovlinsky District of the Volgograd Region.

Whitefly in the garden (in the open field)

Whitefly on tomatoes

Signs that whiteflies have settled on tomatoes growing in open ground are the same as those of greenhouse tomatoes. And in either case, this dangerous pest is fought in almost the same ways. Most importantly, remember that you need to use chemicals only when treatments with folk remedies turned out to be ineffective. Also, the use of pesticides is justified if there is a real threat of losing the entire crop.

In order to prevent the appearance of a whitefly on the site, one should not forget about the following preventive measures:

For planting in open ground, only those seedlings are used on which there are no symptoms of diseases and pests.
Systematically clean the area of weeds, while keeping in mind that the whitefly loves runny and nettles most of all.
To catch flying whiteflies, glue traps are hung up.

If you find a pest on seedlings, then it is recommended to spray them 1 time with one of the above chemicals or carry out several treatments with a folk remedy. Then the seedlings can be planted in open ground. If insects have settled on the bushes planted in the garden, then it is recommended to fumigate them with sulfur, which is capable of exterminating both larvae and adult pests. Instead, plants can be systematically sprayed with a folk remedy once a week. If there are a lot of harmful insects on tomatoes, then it is recommended to treat them with a powerful pesticide (for example: Fufanon or Mospilan). Plants are processed on a cloudy and windless day, but there should be no rain. Also remember that the whitefly has the ability to develop resistance to pesticides, in this regard, do not forget to alternate them.

Whitefly on cucumbers

For cucumbers grown outdoors, whiteflies are very dangerous. Also remember that they are one of the main carriers of dangerous diseases, for example: chlorosis, yellow cucumber mosaic, fruit necrosis, curly foliage and jaundice. As soon as the first signs of the presence of a whitefly are found on the bushes, you need to immediately start fighting it. The fact is that this insect is very fertile: during one month of her life, the female is able to lay about 130 eggs.

This pest is fought on cucumbers in the same ways as on other crops, namely: folk remedies, pesticides and a mechanical method. However, prevention has shown the greatest efficiency in the fight against whiteflies. If you carry out all the necessary preventive measures in a timely manner, then your cucumbers will be reliably protected from this dangerous insect. But if you failed to protect the plantings, and the pest nevertheless settled on them, then immediately after its detection, thoroughly rinse the foliage with a soap solution, and after 1 hour rinse them with clean water. Then manually remove the larvae from the seamy surface of the leaf plates and loosen the ground to a depth of 20 to 30 mm. This procedure must be carried out repeatedly.

The most effective of folk remedies with this pest fights an infusion of dandelions and a garlic solution. In order to reduce the number of whitefly individuals, it is recommended to spray the bushes with a solution of the Bud preparation once every one and a half weeks. And of the pesticides, the most effective in the fight against this insect are Iskra and Tsitkor. Foliage should be processed on a cloudy, windless day, but there should be no rain. Experts advise alternating chemicals, because this pest can develop resistance to them.

Cabbage

If there is a suspicion that a whitefly has settled on the cabbage, then it will be very simple to check this: shake the foliage on the bush, small white moths should immediately soar up from it. Inspect the seamy surface of the leaf plates, if there are translucent larvae on it, then they are removed with a soapy solution and a sponge. Then the bushes are washed with clean water.

You can also try to save cabbage from this dangerous pest using folk remedies. For example, a lot of fly sticky tapes are hung on the lot. Also, the treatment of bushes with infusion of garlic or dandelion foliage and rhizomes shows high efficiency. If necessary, cabbage can be treated with one of the pesticides. Moreover, it should be noted that the most effective in this case are drugs such as Fitoverm, Fufanon, Iskra, Aktara, Aktellik, Confidor and Inta-Vir.

Strawberry

You can understand that whiteflies have settled on strawberries by the following signs: a white bloom forms on its foliage, and a slowdown in plant growth and its wilting is also observed. Inspect the lower surface of the leaf plates, if there are larvae, then start fighting them. Affected bushes must first be washed with a concentrated solution of laundry soap or flea shampoo. Then they must be rinsed with clean water. Make sticky traps with your own hands, for this take cardboard or plywood and cut it into small pieces. Paint each piece a yellow shade and apply one of the following sticky substances to the surface: petroleum jelly, honey or castor oil (be sure to mix them with a few drops of rosin). Spread these bait traps evenly over the area. Adults attracted by yellow color stick to the bait. From folk remedies in the fight against whitefly on strawberries, it is recommended to use an infusion prepared from dandelion foliage and roots, and a garlic solution is also suitable. Of the pesticides, the most effective in this case will be: Actellik, PEGAS, Aktara, Confidor or Rovikurt. The biological method also shows a rather high efficiency: macrofus bugs or encarzia, feeding on whitefly larvae, are settled on the bushes of garden strawberries. After these parasites destroy the whitefly in your area, they will leave it on their own.

Raspberries

Signs that whiteflies are present on raspberries are the same as on other crops: a whitish coating of honeydew forms on the surface of the foliage, which darkens over time due to a sooty fungus. When examining the seamy surface of the foliage, you can find an accumulation of adults and their larvae.

In order to get rid of the pest, it is first recommended to use more harmless folk remedies. And only if they turn out to be ineffective, chemical preparations are used to combat whiteflies.

Grapes

If whiteflies have settled on the grapes, then the bushes should be washed with soapy water. After that, they are treated with dandelion infusion or garlic solution. However, processing with folk remedies will have to be carried out regularly once a week. After the harvest is harvested, the bushes are treated with a solution of Aktara or Fufanon.