Whiteflies Whiteflies are small winged insects with soft bodies. They look like moths than flies. They have a powdery wax coating protecti...
Whiteflies
Whiteflies
are small winged insects with soft bodies. They look like moths than flies.
They have a powdery wax coating protecting their bodies. They usually live
underside of the leaves in clusters.
Globally,
these insects are active throughout the year. During winters these flies go
dormant, especially in the north.
The whitefly
infection is common in summer. In warmer regions, these insects reproduce
year-round. Both outdoor and indoor plants are vulnerable to these insects.
In cooler
regions, outdoor plants are comparatively safer than indoor plants from these
pests. Whiteflies cannot survive in freezing outdoor temperatures. However, if
you have bought infected plants, you may have to deal with seasonal
infections.
Species
In fact,
there are more than 1550 known species of whiteflies. While most are specific
to plant types, few are not. These few species can infect almost any type of
plant.
Silverleaf, greenhouse,
citrus, giant, bandedwinged, etc., are some of the well-known species globally.
Greenhouse,
citrus and Silverleaf are most common in the US and can infect almost any
plant. They are not plant-specific. Among them, the greenhouse species are
easy to control. Silverleaf is slightly smaller in size and most is most
commonly found in Sothern parts of the US.
Life cycle
The
whiteflies develop through several stages from eggs. The final stage is the pupa
stage in which the young pests change into adults.
Within a
week of emerging, adults start to lay eggs. The small eggs are usually laid in
hidden locations like under leaves. Then, the young pests emerge out from the
eggs and start to feed on plants almost instantly.
The time
frame of development is usually less than a month. But it can extend up to a
year, under unfavorable conditions. Regardless of the timeframe, the host
plants’ damage is inevitable.
Identification
Like aphids,
while flies have piercing mouthparts. Hence, they suck the plant juices easily
and excrete honeydews. This liquid
further causes fungal infections such as sooty mold on leaves.
In addition,
this sugary liquid lures other pests like ants or beetles that cause their own
infections.
As these
pests feed on, the plants lose their vital sap juices and become extremely
weak, losing their ability to carry out photosynthesis. Turning yellow, the foliage wilts, shrivels, and ultimately drop off from the plants. The plants may also suffer stunted
growth.
Controlling
You can control whiteflies using
different methods. If you have found the infection, start the treatment as
immediately as possible.
Initially, you can use traps to catch
the whiteflies. This confirms the infection. After that, blast the infected
plants with hose waters. This eliminates mild infections.
You can also use vacuum cleaners to
suck the pests out of the plants. Repeat the process every 2-3 days.
If the
infection still persists, you can use insecticidal soap sprays to kill the
pests. Follow the directions in the package and repeat the process as
necessary. You can use either purchased insecticidal soaps or homemade ones.
Prevention
There are a
number of ways to prevent whiteflies.
While
purchasing new seedlings, inspect them for possible infection. keep them away
from other plants in the initial days. if any symptoms of infection appear,
treat them immediately.
Introducing
natural predators like spiders, dragonflies, ladybugs hummingbirds, etc., is
the best way to prevent these pests. In any case, avoid using harmful
chemicals. Whiteflies are resistant to these chemicals. On the other hand,
these chemicals kill beneficial insects more than pests.
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