Written and edited by Tammy 12th January 2023
White Fly if in large enough numbers can cause extensive damage.
They are a sap sucking insect closely related to other sap sucking insects such as aphids, mealybugs and scale. Adults resemble little white moths while the juveniles' (lavae) are a flattened out round shape very similar to scale.
You'll find them throughout your vegetable garden on anything lush and leafy green. Ornamentals aren't immune to them though either. They hide and feed on the underside of the foliage, and as you brush past your plants or disturb them, they'll take flight into the air and be a buzz all around you. I've noticed them to be particularly bad in my own yard this season.
By the time an infestation is advanced, the foliage will more than likely be yellow, discoloured, or silvery and even distorted in shape. You might remember I spoke about treating scale in a previous post, I mentioned the sticky secretion left behind by scale was called honeydew, and that a black sooty mould proceeds to grow it.... you could quite possibly see the same symptoms here with the white fly because as I stated, white fly too are a sap sucking insect.
How do we treat it? There are a number of things you can try.
Sticky insect traps are a quick and easy natural treatment, just hang them in the location of the infestation, nothing to spray or apply. White fly are drawn to the colour yellow making these very effective. They're readily available online and in store at most leading major outlets. You'll get between 5-10 traps per pack and they're generally double sided.
You could also try companion planting. The idea is to plant something else nearby that the insects are drawn to (a bit like a decoy) so they are drawn to that instead of your prize plant. I have Hollyhocks growing in my yard, I love them, they're so pretty but I've noticed the why fly love them too so perhaps try planting some hollyhocks throughout your veggie garden.
Along with using the sticky traps, spraying a horticultural spray is probably going to be the quickest most effective way to deal with them. Try Eco Neem oil that I previously suggested for dealing with scale. It's an all-natural organic product. But honestly don't rush out and specifically buy it if you've already got some form of white oil product, any white oil will work just fine. Whichever product you choose, the most important thing to remember is to make sure you thoroughly treat the underside of your plants, that's where the white fly and their little nymphs will be. Also, be sure to use the product carefully, follow the manufacturer's instructions on the label.
At the end of the day, no gardening comes without its share of pests, diseases and disorders. Half the fun of gardening is the satisfaction of successfully dealing with the challenges it throws at us. It's a matter of constantly being on the lookout for them and dealing with them as quickly and efficiently as possible when the need arises.
Keep cool and enjoy your garden!
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