Whiteflies
Tiny white-winged insects that fly up in a cloud when you touch the plant.
What you'll see
- A cloud of tiny white insects flies up when the plant is disturbed.
- Flat, oval, scale-like young and tiny eggs on the leaf undersides.
- Sticky honeydew, sooty mold, and yellowing or drying leaves that may drop.
Why it happens
Whiteflies are sap-sucking bugs that breed fast in warmth and often arrive on new plants.
How to fix it
- Remove heavily infested leaves early, and wash the adults and young off the leaf undersides.
- Hang yellow sticky traps to catch adults and see how many there are.
- Spray insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on the leaf undersides, and repeat, because sprays only hit what they touch.
- Use any spray exactly as the label says, and keep kids and pets away until it dries.
Keep it from coming back
- Check the undersides of new plants and keep them apart for a while.
- Avoid broad-spectrum sprays and dusty conditions that harm their natural enemies.
- Pull and dispose of heavily infested annuals and vegetables at the end of the season.
Read more
Sources
General guidance, not a diagnosis. For valuable, edible or outdoor crops, check with a local extension service or plant expert. Use any product exactly as its label says, and keep children and pets away while it dries.