Whiteflies and aphids prey upon indoor and outdoor plants, vegetables,
shrubs, flowers and trees, and are extremely rampant. They can multiply
quickly and rapidly take over leaves, fruits, petals etc, leaving
them damaged and in some cases dead.
Materials Needed to Get Rid of Pests…
1. Pruners
2. Yellow Sticky Traps
3. Insecticidal Spray - Fertilome Indoor/Outdoor Insect Spray
4. Soap
5. Horticultural Oil
6. Hand Sprayer
7. Hose
The Dreaded Whitefly, the "plant dandruff":
You will most likely find these rampant pests on cooler climates
hanging out in greenhouses and outside in your garden. They look
like small white pieces of snow or dandruff and are known to be
the most damaging by concealing themselves under leaves and feasting
upon them. They reproduce an abundant amount of white eggs.
The Terrible Aphid:
An aphid also likes cooler temperatures in the spring and fall.
By devouring the young and succulent plant parts, aphids make plants
become weaker and weaker. The aphids are tiny, pea-shaped and can
be black, white, pink or green. They reproduce very quickly and
a small infestation can lead to an over taking in no time. The aphid
can spread viruses that will incapacitate and destroy some plants.
Ways to Get Rid of the Pests:
The best way to rid your garden from pests is through prevention.
Check your plants on a regular basis so that pests can not multiply
and destroy your plants. Avoiding high-nitrogen fertilizers that
create young and succulent growth will also help to decrease the
number of aphids.
To help control the whiteflies, hang yellow traps coated with a
sticky substance close to the top of the plant. The flies are drawn
to the bright color so they land in the sticky goo and eventually
die. Welcome the flies' natural enemies, such as the ladybug and
lacewings, by planting a diverse group of plants. This should help
to decrease their numbers as well. If all else fails, use an insecticidal
spray soap and horticultural oil or Fertilome Indoor/Outdoor InsectSpray
to reduce the populations before they turn into infestations. Repeat
these treatments every few days until the problem is controlled.
Tips for Removing Aphids and Whiteflies:
- Use a stream of water from a hose to knock off aphids. If they
are knocked off, they rarely return to feed.
- Because whiteflies are sluggish in the early morning, try to control
smaller populations by vacuuming the leaves and sucking up the whiteflies.
