Whiteflies are miniature flying insects that can cause significant damage to plants.
Large colonies of this pest have enough 5-7 days for the complete destruction of many ornamental or garden plants.
The leaves on the infected culture turn pale and dry, the growth of the stem stops. And not every florist or gardener can easily cope with such a scourge.
What is important to know about such plant damage and how can you get rid of the pest?
What you need to know about the pest?
The pest belongs to the class of Lepidoptera, but according to the structure of the body resembles aphids. The average length of one individual - 2-3 mm. Visually, whiteflies are white little butterflies that sit on the plant or swirl above it. The pest has 4 wings covered with white bloom. Parasites appear in the heat and high humidity (from +30 and above). In total there are more than 20 types of pest.
The most common are:
- tobacco, cotton and citrus (native to South Asia);
- greenhouse (come from South America);
- cabbage and strawberry (habitat - the average latitude of Russia).
A characteristic sign of whitefly infection is a white patina on the top of the leaf that glitters in the light. This plaque is a pest's vital activity. It contains the causative agents of many viral diseases (jaundice, chlorosis, leaf curl). Late defecation of the whitefly can turn into a sooty fungus.
Causes of
The whitefly is a heat-loving insect that lives and breeds in a humid environment. greenhouses, nurseries, greenhouses. Planted close to each other plants, poorly ventilated room - a favorable environment for the appearance of the parasite. On how to get rid of the whitefly on the plot and in the greenhouse you will learn in this article.
REFERENCE! At a temperature below 10 degrees, the whitefly dies, but its larvae remain intact (they may hibernate even at lower temperature conditions).
So, the general causes of the pest:
- contaminated soil;
- purchase of infected seeds or plants;
- whitefly penetration through a greenhouse door or window;
- lack of ventilation of the greenhouse, greenhouse (stagnant air);
- high humidity and heat.
A photo
Next you can see the pest photo:
How to get rid of the insect on flowers
To get rid of a dangerous insect, you can use several methods. Both chemical preparations, and national recipes, and mechanical adaptations are suitable for fight against the wrecker.
Chemicals
This is the most radical and fast method. The treated plant absorbs the active substances from the drug and becomes poisonous.. The whitefly drinks poisoned juice and dies within a few hours. Treating plants with chemicals is best 2-3 times with an interval of 7-10 days.
During the procedure, be sure to wear gloves and a respirator.
Spray the plant better in the open air.
What drugs to pay attention to? The specified dosage may vary depending on the specific type of plant, be sure to specify the proportions in the instructions or on the package.
- Pegasus. Dosage: 2 ml per 1 liter of water. Spray 2 times. In the first week, 1 time, a week later, repeat the procedure.
- Verticillin J. 25 ml per 1 liter of water. Spray 2 times in 7-10 days.
- Admiral: 3 ml per 10 liters of water.
- Biotlin, Commander, Tanrek (5 ml per 10 liters of water).
All the details about the most popular remedies for whitefly, as well as how to prepare the solution and process the plant, we told here.
How to destroy popular ways?
The effective folk remedies include decoctions of various herbs, infusions based on garlic or onions, soapy water, ash. These recipes will be effective only with a small number of pests. Also means can be used in the preventive purposes.
| Title | Cooking |
| Tobacco decoction |
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| Garlic or onion brew |
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| Soapy water |
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| Yarrow Herb Infusion |
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How to deduce special traps?
Glue traps for whiteflies are made on the principle of traps for flies. They are an adhesive tape with a sticky composition of yellow or white. Getting on such a trap, the whitefly sticks and can no longer fly away, with time it dies. You can buy a trap in specialized stores for a garden. When choosing pay attention to the company Pheromone, Argus.
IMPORTANT! Before installing the adhesive tape on the plant, read the instructions and be sure to use gloves. After setting, rinse hands thoroughly with cleanser.
Fumigator
This is a device that eliminates flies and mosquitoes. And usually used in everyday life in order to protect the home from insects.
But farmers note that adaptation effectively and in the fight against other pests, including the whitefly.
Fumigators come with plates or with liquids. To eliminate whiteflies, it is better to take a device with a liquid, since individuals do not tolerate chemical vapors.
The fumigator should be installed next to the plant, then the room should be isolated.. The device works from the network, for convenience, you can use a network extender.
Features of methods to combat pest grenade
Exact steps and actions depend on the type of grenade. If the whitefly attacked a room grenade, the following algorithm would be appropriate.
- Take the pomegranate to the bathroom and rinse the leaves thoroughly with cold water. Wash the back of each leaf especially well, use a sponge if necessary.
- Replant the plant in another pot with new soil, dispose of the old contaminated soil.
- Put the plant in a cool place. Pomegranate is unpretentious, he likes coolness, so for a while you can even put it in the fridge. In winter - bring to the balcony or loggia. Be sure to keep an eye on the temperature - the permissible rate is not below -7 degrees.
- Pomegranate can be removed from whiteflies with the help of folk recipes (they are non-toxic, they do not pose a danger to humans and animals). When processing chemical preparations, it is necessary to isolate grenades.
If the whitefly attacked the pomegranate in the garden, a cold shower several times a day will help to cope with it. After it, you should additionally spray the tree from the spray gun. You can add a soap solution or onion / garlic infusion. With the whitefly sticky traps do an excellent job. If there is no effect, chemicals come to the rescue.
Preventive measures
To prevent infection in the greenhouse or at home, quite regularly and accurately ventilate the room. At high humidity it is forbidden to water and spray the plant.. At home, put the pots at a distance from each other, when growing on the beds - keep a distance when planting seeds.
Prevention in the garden
- Late autumn, be sure to dig the soil. This will allow the larvae that have dug for wintering to rise to the surface.
- After harvesting, remove all plant residues outside the garden and burn.
- There should not be a compost pile on the plot. This habitat and wintering is not only whiteflies, but also other pests.
- Before planting plants in the greenhouse, its frame and cover must be disinfected with bleach. You also need to treat the soil with a solution of copper or iron sulphate.
The whitefly is a dangerous insect that is difficult to fight. But a complex of chemical, folk and mechanical methods will help get rid of the pest as soon as possible. To exclude re-infection, be sure to follow the rules of prevention.
