[mushroom]

Hi,

Yesterday down on the plot there were billions of these things over nearly every plant apart from onion. Little white flies, they like to congregate under the leaves of my purple sprouting broccoli, but they also like oregano and chilis. And salad rocket, and cabbage. if you disturb them, they all fly up then within 10 or 15 seconds, they're on the plant or soil again. They aren't like aphid whitefly, I'll try to photograph them but they are right at the lower size resolution of my camera.

What to do? Soapy spray has been recommended before, but I can't do the whole plot in that... and so far that hasn't worked... does anyone know how to treat a whole plot of white flies, or will they die down in winter, if we even have a winter?  :cry:

[GrannieAnnie]

I always thought they were whitefly!!!!!

[mushroom]

I always thought that "whitefly" is rather like aphids, slow moving. These move rapidly. Am i incorrect?

[mushroom]

yes it looks like I am incorrect - it is "whitefly"  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:

whitefly

[crowndale]

I have these too, like you I didn't realise they were 'whitefly' as opposed to white flies!  I ahve them in my strawberries at the moment.

[Sally A]

I was lucky and avoided them for most of the year, but next door got them bad on his indoor toms, they were all very limp leaved and sticky fruits. He's now cleared out his greenhouses and they've taken residence in mine. I find that leaving spiders webs alone then brushing the plants so they all get caught quite satisfying.

[brucesgirl]

We had loads of them on our allotment yesterday too - but there were also loads of ladybirds having a good scoff.

[mushroom]

I wonder if the tobacco mixed with soapy water trick would work :?:
I think our site is a bit too exposed for ladybirds - have seen almost none this year.

[gobs]

Whiteflies are really dif to control, let alone eradicate, as most people around you are growing brassicas all year round, their life cycle never gets broken.

Try  fleece or fine mesh and soapy water and salty water for cleaning.

The tobacco thing, someone might know more about it, but as it contains serious toxins I'm shying away from trying. :roll:

[Aunt Sally]

They are actually tiny white moths - "not a lot of people know that" -  

[mushroom]

hmm, just had a chat with a mate who has a lotty on the same plot, and he says the flies/moths hate garlic. I have to concur - they don't appear on my onion or garlic patch. So I'm going to make a soap and garlic mixture bottle for the sprayer. I'll post the results here. If i'd known before, i'd have tried interplanting with garlic :oops:

I've got a lot of spraying to do  :x  

Does anyone know when they retire for the winter???

[mushroom]

The tobacco thing, someone might know more about it, but as it contains serious toxins I'm shying away from trying. :roll:

What serious toxins? The component that water will extract will be nicotine, and we're talking one cigarette here.

Mind you, it wouldn't be the first time i'm wrong about something  :oops:

[gobs]

They do not retire.

Nicotine as insecticide, diluted is not the same as cigarettes. As it's highly combustive, very little nicotine of leave content gets into body during smoking.

It's just about the only toxin that most insects do not have developed tolerance to, non-selective, as such. Common ingredient in commercial insecticides. A few years ago there was some argument and research about tolerance levels of it, where that got to in the end, I don't know.

In a soak of tobacco the nicotine levels can be very high, I think it's best if you do some research on dilution, time of use, crops to use on before you attack it.

[mushroom]

cheers for the heads up  

[brucesgirl]

Don't waste the tobacco on the flies - send it to me!!