Whitefly Control

Tave

My squash plant was covered with whiteflies, and the leaves were starting to turn yellow. So, I searched online for a natural solution, and found a garlic spray recipe on Epic Gardening's website. I cut off all the yellowing leaves, then sprayed it with the garlic spray. The next day, there was a noticeable reduction in the number of whiteflies.

I have to stop expecting immediate results with a take-a-pill or grab-an-insecticide mentality. It does take patience and requires remembering to spray the leaves every day until the pests are gone, but it is working.

Does anyone else have a favorite natural remedy for whiteflies and aphids?

https://www.epicgardening.com/how-to-make-garlic-spray/

Lisa K

@Tave a friend of mine that used to work at a local Nursery recommended worm castings - about 1" of them lightly worked into the ground around the plant, supposedly white flies do not like the taste. Also if there is something blocking any breeze and you can move it that will help. I have Hibiscus plants that are in a windy corridor and they do not get white flies (one of their favorite plants).

Silkiemamuska

I reccomend DE (diatomaceous earth), it is natural and non toxic to everything EXCEPT living things with exoskeletons. You could apply with a duster, mix it with water and then spray with a spray bottle. If spraying you will need to shake often because of settling. DE will be effective when dry. Rain will wash it away and you will need to apply again.

I can sing the praises of DE and have used it for many pest issues - roaches, dust mites, spiders, ticks, fleas, stinkbugs, ants and on.

Be careful about applying it to where honey bees and beneficial insects will be.

Tave

@Lisa K That's good to know about worm castings. It may also make the plant healthy enough to defend itself. I haven't noticed them on the hibiscus, but they are less protected from the wind than the squash.

@Silkiemamuska DE is great stuff. I'll have to bring some back with me on my next trip. We used it to get rid of bedbugs in an apartment complex where I used to work.

Thanks for your comments:)

kbmbillups1

@Tave I made the garlic spray this spring to try to keep blight from getting my tomatoes. It worked really well. I sprayed it on the ground and on the stems every other week. Next spring I'm making more!!!

Cornelius

I found garlic spray helps with almost any pest I have run into. Neem oil spray is also supposed to be very effective as well, but I have not personally tried it.

JENNIFER

Are white flies in the dirt? And if I dump my pots out and spread the dirt out will the sun kill them? What do they live on?

Tave

Hi, @JENNIFER White fly eggs can infect the soil, but you're most likely to find them on the leaves. The adult flies hang out on the leaves and suck the life out of them like aphids.

If I have a problem with damping off (seedlings die right after they sprout), then I usually empty the pot and bake the dirt at 180℉/82℃ to disinfect it.

JENNIFER

Thank you so much for responding.

Cornelius

There is a product called Mosquito bits that releases a parasitic bacteria into the soil that kills mosquito's and fungus gnats, but is harmless to us. I am not sure if it will work on white flies though. I have also not tried it yet, but plan to very shortly.

Hydrogen peroxide in a 1:1 ratio can also be used to disinfect soil as well as treat over-watering (it breaks down to water and oxygen which helps to oxygenate the roots).