Succulent Plant Site | Succulent Plant Pests | Whitefly

Whitefly Description and Control

Common Name:	Whitefly,
Latin Name:	Family Aleyrodidae
Size:	1-3mm in length.
Colour:	White
Transfer:	Flight

Whitefly Description:

Adult whiteflies are are small sap-feeding insects between 1-3mm in length. Their bodies and wings are covered in a white waxy powder although there are species that have a dark grey covering, they are known as blackflies. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves and the juvenile whiteflies resemble scale insect, they are also sap-feeders.

Image: Whitefly on underside of new foliar growth.

Signs of Whitefly Infestation:

• Yellowing of leaves.
• Leaves falling off prematurely.

Damage Done by Whiteflies:

Severe infestations of whitefly will cause leaves to wilt, yellow and fall off prematurely.

Plants Attacked by Whitefly:

• Mesembs
• Leafy succulents - especially caudiciforms
• Beans
• Tomatoes

Treatment of Whiteflies:

Environmentally freindly:

• For small infestations, remove flies by hand.
• Make a loop of bright yellow electrical/insulation tape into a loop, sticky side on the outside, place it near to the infected plant.  The white flies are attracted to the yellow colour and will get stuck onto the sticky tape.

Chemical:

• Bifenthrin
• Cyfluthrin
• Deltamethrin
• Diazinon
• Fatty acids + pyrethrin
• Malathion
• Oleum
• Permethrin
• Phenothrin/tetramethrin
• Pyriproxifen