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+--- Thread: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! (/showthread.php?tid=1067)
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Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - JJB - 04-05-2021
I think I have whitefly in the greenhouse not something I have experienced before, although looking at the RHS picture the little white critters on my plants do not have distinguishable wings, like their picture, in fact mine are so small I can't identify them as creatures with legs or wings with the naked eye. Query, what to do about them?
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - Scarlet - 04-05-2021
Do you keep it closed up during the day?
I think at this time of year if you don't act fast they will multiply before your eyes.
You can use insects to eat them? Not sure what they are called?
Sticky tapes.
I would empty the greenhouse, wash all your plants. Keep the really infested ones outside.
Wash greenhouse thoroughly.
Fleece plants for a couple of nights outside?? What plants have you got in there?
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - JJB - 04-05-2021
(04-05-2021, 10:20 PM)Scarlet Wrote: Do you keep it closed up during the day?No, open during the day mostly. I've got peppers, tomatoes, aubs, chillies, beans, sweetcorn, cucurbits, bedding etc. Hundreds of plants. It looks like the insects like peppers and chillies best. I've blitzed the couple of plants I've noticed the bugs on but I expect I've missed some. I'll have a look on line for bio warfare as opposed to chemical warfare and buy some sticky tapes although I dont see them flying about (yet) .Thanks Scarlet. I'm pretty sure they're whitefly but they're very very tiny. I'm going to get a lens on them to see what the look like magnified.
I think at this time of year if you don't act fast they will multiply before your eyes.
You can use insects to eat them? Not sure what they are called?
Sticky tapes.
I would empty the greenhouse, wash all your plants. Keep the really infested ones outside.
Wash greenhouse thoroughly.
Fleece plants for a couple of nights outside?? What plants have you got in there?
I'm daunted about emptying and washing the gh
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - Scarlet - 05-05-2021
When you have whitefly if you touch the plant they all fly...it's like dandruff
I had it once on overwintered kale in the greenhouse and was a bigger to get rid of.
I think SP uses ladybirds? But I think it may be something different for whitefly. I'm not sure.
Be sure to post what you do. What a pain this early in the season.
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - Small chilli - 05-05-2021
Ladybird larvae is for aphids, but they would take some whitefly. You need parasitic wasps apparently. After doing a quick google.
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - JJB - 05-05-2021
I've had cabbage whitefly often under the cabbage mesh in the garden which fly in clouds but these critters are way different. They don't have visible wings and are not yet prolific enough to 'dandruff'. Maybe they're babies. I've ordered some sticky traps to see what is actually flying about, plan on using cautiously in case bees get clobbered. I'll try washing the plants, but they're not very big or strong yet, so can't do a water jet job on them. I'm being vigilant and rubbing the blighters off each leaf at the moment and as far as I can see they're only on pepper and chilli growing tips so far. I notice lots of dead ones on the soil of the one pot that I chemical sprayed so that's a start, but I'm reluctant to blanket bomb the whole lot with insecticide.
I'll not get a chance for a good greenhouse session for a couple of days so I'm snatching any time I can to go 'a rubbin'. Tedious.
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - toomanytommytoes - 05-05-2021
Growing tips sounds like aphids. Do they move at all? When aphids moult they leave their white skins behind and they can look like tiny insects. Or maybe thrips?
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - JJB - 05-05-2021
Ooooh, you may have hit it on the head. The white bits I'm finding are thrip sized, but whilst there are the occasional greenfly, nothing in numbers that reflect the qty of white bits. I must find the opportunity to put the white bits under a lens to see if they move. Uncovering this morning I took any peppers with suspect insects outside, gave them a shake and flicked them to see if anything fell off in the wind. It did, but not all I'm afraid.
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - Spec - 05-05-2021
Came across a oil based insecticide which might be worth a try
250mls. veg. or sunflower oil
25 mls. washing up liquid (fairy etc.)
Shake well add 10mls. to 1lt. of water and spray infected plants
RE: Whitefly? in the GH. Help! - Spec - 05-05-2021
Or you could try boiling some garlic cloves in water, then strain off add to a spray bottle and dilute with water, try on one plant to check they are no adverse effects