Help!i HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD INFESTED WITH WHITEFLIES!

[ginger2778]

HI ALL,
sadly, I just pilled up a beautiful tomato plant about 5 feet high with about 30 fruit in various stages forming on it. It's in the garbage now. Reason? TYLCV!
I hate the whiteflies so much!
Does anyone have a good control for them that doesn't risk burning the leaves if sun gets to them?
I am desperate for a step by step control.
And my neighborhood is just infested with them, they are even in the coconut palms and oak trees.There are every type present here.
We don't get enough of a winter here to kill them.
HELP!!!

[rnewste]

ginger,

I have found this to be effective in controlling whiteflies, aphids, etc.



Available at this link:

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/hi...de-p-1551.html

Since it is rated for both Indoor as well as Outdoor use, I feel OK with using it when necessary.

Raybo

[b54red]

I had some luck last year with an insect growth regulator along with regular sprayings of Pymethrin in very soapy water. It really did seem to slow their population growth dramatically; but it was most effective on spider mites.

[ginger2778]

Thank you Raybo, and mewste. I will look into this hi-yield, and also the pymethrin.
Do you know if both of these are safe to spray in the middle of the day, or should I wait until dusk to avoid leaf burn?
Do you know how long you should wait to be able to pick the fruit after?
I have alot to learn.

[rnewste]

ginger,

For tomatoes, see Page 14 of the Instructions regarding usage. In my view, spraying with an Insecticide is a "last resort" when all other natural occurring countermeasures fail. Then it comes down to either the whiteflies winning and destroying your plant - or the spraying option. Lots of folks here will have varying opinions on this and the use of Fungicides. It is a personal choice you have to make.

For any spraying, I would always recommend at Sunset, as you don't want the rays of the Sun to broil the leaves mid-day.

I use this particular insecticide as it is rated for "same day harvest". While I would never pick and eat fruit the same day I sprayed (I wait about one week), nonetheless it is comforting to know that the EPA has approved this product for these conditions.

Raybo

[kurt]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

HI ALL,
sadly, I just pilled up a beautiful tomato plant about 5 feet high with about 30 fruit in various stages forming on it. It's in the garbage now. Reason? TYLCV!
I hate the whiteflies so much!
Does anyone have a good control for them that doesn't risk burning the leaves if sun gets to them?
I am desperate for a step by step control.
And my neighborhood is just infested with them, they are even in the coconut palms and oak trees.There are every type present here.
We don't get enough of a winter here to kill them.
HELP!!!

I live here in Miami Dade not too far from you and we have the same infestation.Some got into my pool enclosed growing area and I bought online lady bugs and they went to town on them.The only setback was when they ate all they could they congregated and escaped through some small areas in the screen and around the two screen doors.So to prevent that I bought some nectar mix and placed them on sticks throughout the yard.Now they feast on the ficus trees next door where the flies came from.They are now nesting in the jasmine and gardenia, mango and lychees.As long as there is a food source they will hang out.This might take a little time but the grandkids and neighbors love them.If you buy them dont let them go all at once,they will keep in the fridge for a while and go to sleep.Release them as needed to the whitefly infestation areas and monitor them.Have Fun and good luck.

[ginger2778]

Thank you for the info Raybo. I think permethrin may be a good answer.
Kurt, thanks also, what website did you find the ladybugs on? I also have a mango, a coconut palm, and some Banana trees, and they all have their own variety of the whiteflies. They say the ficus whitefly doesn't eat tomatoes, its supposed to be the silverleaf type, but who knows? I wish they would all die!!!
The ladybug idea intrigues me.

[kurt]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Thank you for the info Raybo. I think permethrin may be a good answer.
Kurt, thanks also, what website did you find the ladybugs on? I also have a mango, a coconut palm, and some Banana trees, and they all have their own variety of the whiteflies. They say the ficus whitefly doesn't eat tomatoes, its supposed to be the silverleaf type, but who knows? I wish they would all die!!!
The ladybug idea intrigues me.

I do not have on record but I just googled "ladybugs for sale "and got about 10 sites on the first page.Have fun and watch them little suckers get devoured.Plus they are a great pollinator since we do not have too many bees left in my hood

[ginger2778]

Here's an update. I seem to be having a great deal of success with good ole Neem oil. Who knew! I am also having maybe the best growing season now that I have had yet. In spite of the whitefly infestation in my area.
How are the rest of the Florida gardeners doing?

[kurt]

Maters are doing great,ladybugs are doing ther job around the yard,got plenty of egg sacks around the yard and they are moving to the adjoining infestations.Only problem is every once in a while thry show up in the house by mistake and have to capture them and take them outside.They are also good pollinators for my maters since they love the nector.Mangoes are blooming now(early varietys)and the L-bugs are all over them.Saw some bees hanging around.First time in a couple of years.Well congrats ,you have a good solution.Keep us posted and Happy Holidays.Kurt

[ginger2778]

Happy holidays to you too. What area of Miami do you live in? I used to go to Palmetto high school.
My mango isn't in bloom yet, it is the Kent variety, and it is late and large, and delicious!
I still gotta get some ladybugs.
I can't believe just how infested my area is, whiteflies everywhere, just have to look. Every coconut palm is loaded, all the water oaks are, gumbo limbos, even those yellow-green landscape shrubs. It is way more than just the ficus!! I even had them on my milkweed. I guess the monarch caterpillars just eat around them!
But not on the tomatoes anymore

[kurt]

We live down here in Cutler Bay(Old Cutler Ridge we got incorperated,what a joke more taxes)The white flys are not that bad down here but in Miami I have seen some real bad infestations.The county has banned ficus tree and hedges from new developements and are starting to thin them out here and there because of the massive roots they have and are upending sidewalks and roadways.There is some talk about some research on a invasive type wasp but I do not think it will get off the ground because they do not know what the wasp will do after it eradicates the whiteflys.Seems like they congregate first at the ficus then move on eat anything else it can.We had two in the yard and it took me 4 days to get them out.Then another two days to get the roots out what a mess.Thax for the note and I hope your county will start some kind of eradiction like Miami Dade has started.I think they are using the Pyrethrum(Dont count on this spelling)spray.See ya later,Kurt

[ginger2778]

Hey Kurt, that's my old stomping grounds until hurricane Andrew blew me north.
Have a nice holiday, and happy new year.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

HI ALL,
sadly, I just pilled up a beautiful tomato plant about 5 feet high with about 30 fruit in various stages forming on it. It's in the garbage now. Reason? TYLCV!
I hate the whiteflies so much!
Does anyone have a good control for them that doesn't risk burning the leaves if sun gets to them?
I am desperate for a step by step control.
And my neighborhood is just infested with them, they are even in the coconut palms and oak trees.There are every type present here.
We don't get enough of a winter here to kill them.
HELP!!!

I had a few whiteflies last summer. Aphids came first, farmed by ants. I sacrificed a batch of PEPH peas to aphids and got so many predatory bugs-some sort of desert lady bug about 1/8 the normal size, lacewings, praying mantids, syrphid flies plus all of their larva. It was incredible to watch but it took a good month or more to really build up the population. When the whiteflies showed up they didn't stand a chance. Between the good bugs and just a spritz of water, ha ha! I'd never really paid this much attention to bugs before and noticing all the larva and various predators actually eating the aphids was really amazing. I'm hoping I made a serious increase in my yard's predator population for the spring, since we don't really get cold, either.
I believe you can buy lacewings from Arbico. They tend to stick around better than ladybugs.

[ginger2778]

Thanks Tracydr,
I am going to put an all out assault to the horrible little things. I am going to buy several bags of ladybugs, and am definitely going to look into lacewings. It's so diabolical to think that aphids weren't bad enough, so they had to create flying ones!!! And to make it worse, it has been warmer by about 8 degrees than average for the past 16 days, so they are having a field day breeding! They also cause sooty mold just like aphids and scale do.
This was an informative post and I thank you.
-Marsha