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White Flies - UGH!

Houndhome
10 years ago

Hi Everyone, so with this awesome weather I have been out in the yard a lot more. Last weekend I noticed my hibiscus is covered with white flies. Sprayed neem oil all over it and it doesn't seem to be helping much at all other than turning the leaves yellow. I know this topic has come up before, but wanted to see if anyone has had any good updates on how to get rid of these darn things before they attach the rest of my yard. I have read planting mint, garlic, marigold, nasturtium etc - do any of these really work? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!

Comments (10)

  • tomatofreak
    10 years ago

    Let's not forget aphids; those nasty little things are next! I hate 'em. Is there something that will knock 'em both out?

  • aztreelvr
    10 years ago

    White flies LOVE the color yellow which is why whitefly traps are that color and are coated with ultra sticky stuff. When the whiteflies land on the traps they get stuck. Voila! End of whiteflies.

    Seriously, this prevents the adults from laying eggs. Its the nymphs that do the damage with their piercing mouthparts. The adults don't harm plants, but they do produce the young that do. Break the cycle and your whitefly problem will vanish.

    You can make your own traps by using a yellow plastic plate stapled onto a stake. An old paint stir stick works well. Coat the plate with something sticky like petroleum jelly or Tanglefoot, a sticky pigeon control product you can get at the home improvement store. Place the plate next to plants that whiteflies love like hibiscus and lantana.

    Good luck.

    Here is a link that might be useful: whitefly management from UC Davis

  • lazy_gardens
    10 years ago

    I ignore them.

    The natural predators will show up.

  • campv 8b AZ
    10 years ago

    In California we sprayed melathion(not sure of the spelling HD has it) on the Hibiscus and it takes care of the aphids too. We also use it on the citrus which can get white fly bad. Don't use it when bees are active.

  • tracydr
    10 years ago

    Malathion,yikes!
    I usually ignore white flies and the predators do take care of them.
    The aphids on my artichokes every spring, they have to be taken care of. I use an organic spray with not so great results. I also spray with water frequently, which seems to work better than the spray.

  • campv 8b AZ
    10 years ago

    Tracy -Nothing was mentioned about putting malathion on vegetables. People don't eat Hibiscus bushes.

  • aztreelvr
    10 years ago

    People may not eat hibiscus flowers but hummingbirds and other pollinators as well as beneficial insects visit them. Just a thought........

  • davep75
    10 years ago

    Hibiscus tea, national drink of Mexico!
    Hey, just saying.......

  • greendesert
    10 years ago

    just FYI davep75, the hibiscus that they make drinks out of, is NOT the same as the hibiscus we grow here for ornamental purposes. The ornamental hibiscus is not used in tea. Hibiscus Sabdarifa, is a tropical plant that does well here, but doesn't survive winters. My guess the OP is talking about ornamental hibiscus.

  • davep75
    10 years ago

    Sounds all correct to me, but I'm working on Hibiscus Sabdarifa, hoping to find a natural way to help with high bp. Next year about this time I'll let you know how it handles winter. If its like this one, I'm betting (literally) that it comes thru ok. I hope the white flies don't bother it. The only plants that I had a serious problem with was white and purple lantana, they didn't bother the yellow and red so much.

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