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pests Little white bugs

DarkTrak

DarkTrak

What are the little white bugs that are all over the under side of my plants leaving like white powder residue? When I tap the plant they all scatter real quick and then hide again...are they harmful??
 
I'm no expert but can they be Spider Mites?

I'm gonna quote a site here...

Spider Mites can be a serious problem particularly during periods of hot, dry weather. They feed on the underside of leaves and to the naked eye, look like moving dots. When infestation is high, the leaves will have webs on them; if uncontrolled, these mites can kill a plant. Infected leaves often curl downwards and leaves are speckled in appearance, as though covered with hundreds or thousands of pale yellow dots. A simple technique for identifying mites is to tap an infected leaf over a piece of white paper. Wait a few seconds and watch for movement.

Bleash
 
I just saw a few the other day. I'm trying Organocide which I bought at a local nursery, but you can also get at Home Depot or Lowes. Trying it on the recommendation of a long time grower who used it with good results. It's organic and I'm trying to avoid use of the real nasty pesticides. It's also a fungicide and a miticide as well, so you get three for one. It's 92% fish oil, so it leaves a definite fishy smell which supposedly goes away in a few days. Also going to use the pump sprayer and get a little more aggressive on spraying the underside of leaves when watering. Good luck.
 
Hey Mike i have them too white flies. Sprayed with neem & Ivory this morning and again tonight in case i missed them this morning.
 
I just noticed some whitefly on my tomatoes again. They sure can be difficult little buggers, and disease spreaders :(
 
DarkTrak said:
Yeah they fly around real quick and then back to hiding...whiteflies you say?? Another job for neem??
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Permethrin will get them and so will insecticidal soaps, just be sure to spray your leaves really well (top and especially bottom) every 3 to 4 days for a few weeks.
 
Unfortunately, I have thousands of them in my toms in the GH. I tried Safer Soap/Neem oil and except for the few hundred that drowned, it didn't kill even close to all of them. But the plants are at the end of their life, the fruit isn't ripening then way it should, the temps out there are in triple digits and I have too many irons in other fires to dedicate much time to these. But I did read where those miniature wasps, the ones that don't sting and cost very little, feast on these things.

In a couple of weeks, I'll clean out the GH and shut the door (after removing the radio, lights, plastic containers, etc., that will suffer from extreme heat and close the door. It'll be fun to see if those creatures can survive 150 degree heat without food or water!

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Unfortunately, I have thousands of them in my toms in the GH. I tried Safer Soap/Neem oil and except for the few hundred that drowned, it didn't kill even close to all of them. But the plants are at the end of their life, the fruit isn't ripening then way it should, the temps out there are in triple digits and I have too many irons in other fires to dedicate much time to these. But I did read where those miniature wasps, the ones that don't sting and cost very little, feast on these things.

In a couple of weeks, I'll clean out the GH and shut the door (after removing the radio, lights, plastic containers, etc., that will suffer from extreme heat and close the door. It'll be fun to see if those creatures can survive 150 degree heat without food or water!

Mike
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That's an evil plan! Hope they all perish!
 
I know your talking about white flies but I finally saw my first aphids of the season on a few of my Thai Hots a few days ago..... I smushed every last one of them and laughed while doing it!!!!

Then I went back and sprayed all my plants really well with my insecticidal spray.... checked again today and didn't see any more.... Yet. Im sure they are just rallying up re-enforcements!!
 
I too find that whitefly love my warm predator-free greenhouse and especially my tomatoes. They are also very difficult to get rid of with sprays since they fly away when you start spraying and they breed so fast :(
 
DarkTrak said:
Are they really that harmful?
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Similar in harm to aphids and spider mites from what I read... they suck sap from plants and reproduce quickly, shit honeydew like aphids which can cause mold problems, and transmit viruses. I don't think I've ever come across them yet. I'm sure a few wouldn't be devastating, but neither would a few aphids or spider mites. Problem is, when they reproduce rapidly, they most definitely could do some harm. Even in lower numbers, all it takes is one of them to transmit a virus between plants, and because they can fly I would guess they'd be more able to do this than aphids.
 
Whiteflies are soft-bodied, winged insects closely related to aphids. They can be found in most any region, but they are so tiny that they are usually camouflaged. They can be as small as 1/12 of an inch, and are often found in clusters on the undersides of leaves. They are active during the daytime, so they are easier to spot than some other nocturnal pests. Whiteflies are capable of over wintering and reproducing throughout the year in warmer climates.
How to Identify Whiteflies

Whiteflies ingest plant juices and in turn produce a sticky substance known as honeydew. Honeydew left on its own can cause fungal diseases to form on leaves. Plants will become extremely weak and may be unable to carry out photosynthesis. Leaves may dry out and turn yellow, and growth will be stunted. Check undersides of leaves around the veins for flies, even if they aren’t visible, feel leaf surfaces for honeydew.

Eggs are also laid on the undersides of leaves. Adult females can produce up to 400 eggs, which can hatch anytime between one week and a month. They are usually laid in a circular pattern.
How to get rid of Whiteflies

* Spray with insecticidal soap. Follow up twice or three times.
* Ladybugs and spiders may help control whitefly population.
* Some garden and hardware stores sell whitefly traps, which may be useful, although not as successful as insecticidal soap.
* Try this homemade mixture from the Almanac to control and deter whiteflies: 2 parts rubbing alcohol, 5 parts water, and 1 tablespoon liquid soap.
Spray the mixture on the foliage of garden plants that are susceptible to these pests.
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Checked all my plants this morning all OK, Neem and Ivory took of all white flies sprayed again to make sure all them little bastards are gone
 
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