Whiteflies introduce a multi-step form of damage to your garden. They’re not selective about what they destroy. Whitefly damage could be done to flowering plants, decorative plants, and vegetables. Almost anything with a leaf, they’ll feed off of. You name it, whiteflies will destroy it. This makes whitefly control and whitefly prevention key elements to preserving your garden.
They are tiny – usually only 1 to 2 mm in length, so they are very hard to spot. Since whiteflies are so small, they can pass through most mesh screens easily which means that greenhouses are not even safe from them. They also stick to the underside of leaves, so you won’t notice them in passing.
Whitefly Damage
Estimated losses from whitefly damage top hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Like we said, though, whitefly damage isn’t just limited to what they can do by feeding.
Whiteflies secrete honeydew, introducing a fungi called sooty mold. This is difficult to remove and coats plants with a black layer that blocks sunlight. It can grow in a matter of days.
Not only is this mold a serious threat, but whiteflies also pass a number of pathogens to plants. Sometimes these will just ruin the look of a plant, other times these will kill the plant.
Whitefly Prevention
Whiteflies are usually present because there has been some disruption in the natural world. They do have many natural predators, such as ladybugs, so if your garden is lacking natural predators it may also be missing other vital nutrients that attract them.
As a result, a management program is multifaceted. You can’t simply spray your garden with chemicals and hope that it kills whiteflies. The chemicals you can get at your local garden center don’t always prove fatal to these problem pests. Moreover, you could be killing far more than the whiteflies.
When it’s time to protect your garden from pests like these, it’s time to contact Slug-A-Bug for a customized solution that works to control predators and protect your plants!
Whitefly Control (Naturally)
Every garden’s and greenhouse’s needs are different, so different plans of attack and solutions are needed for each. Not only do we offer whitefly prevention and control, we also offer lawn and garden care, and tree and shrub care that can help identify and address these problems to keep your home and environment healthy and looking its best.