White flies

[helixturnhelix]

Last night I found a colony of white flies on my Dragons heart, they are really small ones, smaller than the ones I used to see in Cali.  I didnt know what to do, so I ended up spraying all my plants with Simple Green, because its supposed to be non toxic, do you think this would hurt the plants?  Is there anything else I should do besides cut off affected growth?

[Darkhorse]

Bayer Tree and Shrub is a systemic soil drench that I used for aphids.  It knocked all of them out within a week.  It works for whiteflies too.  The nice thing is that it's a drench, not a spray, and doesn't get all over you!  You also don't have to worry about spraying every inch of the plant.

[Charlie]

Yes, I agree, Bayer Tree and Shrub is the best way to go for long lasting and very effective control of white flies.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Ok thanks for the input, it looks like I got most of them with the simple green, but there are bound to be eggs somewhere.  UGH i dont get why they appeared out of the blue!  Also, my puppy likes to eat dirt out of the pots and eat spent flowers, so is there anything more organic i could try?

[Charlie]

Hi Chris,

Sounds like you've got a good handle on them. Their egg sacs are fairly large, and could be mistaken for mealy bugs - white cottony masses that are easy to see. Best thing in your situation is just to look over the plants, including bottoms of leaves, for the eggs or any live whiteflies. Squash them or wipe them away to get rid of them.

Since you apparently caught it early this is probably all you will have to do. An established white fly colony is much harder to get rid of. If you need to you could spray with Clean Leaf or Horticultural Oil but I doubt you will need to if you do a close inspection and don't find any more.

BTW, the imidacloprid in Bayers Tree and Shrub ( a drench, not a spray) does not pass into the buds and flowers, which is why it does not work against thrips. I'm not sure how long it might remain in the potting mix but it is the active ingredient in some dog flea products and I doubt it will do your puppy any harm in the amounts he/she is likely to consume. If it ever becomes necessary to use it...

Charlie

[roadrunner]

Are you referring to Bayer 12-Month Tree & Shrub Insect Control and is it safe for use on inside plants especially in smaller containers say 6 or 8 inch size?

thanks,

dave

[Charlie]

Yes, that is the product. The label says it's for outdoor use, and we have to advise that the label is followed. I can add that as a drench it is contained in the pot and I have never noticed any smell lingering after using it. As mentioned, the active ingredient, imidacloprid, is widely used in dog flea shampoos and no one warns about after-use effects on pet owners or pets.  Since the product as formulated is for trees and larger shrubs the directions are hard to interpret for smaller hibiscus but I have found that mixing 2 tablespoons of it with 1 gallon of water gave good results with no harm to the hibiscus in 6 and 8 inch pots. Has anybody tried other doses? Just keep in mind the older and larger the hibiscus is, the longer imidacloprid takes to be fully circulated throughout the hibiscus and so the longer it takes to work. At this time of year 2-4 weeks would be about right to see complete results.

Charlie

[roadrunner]

My pest problem is actually aphids in about 5 plants that I've tried to keep isolated from the rest of the collection. The infestation has been persistant in these plants for most of the year in spite of repeated spraying with Safer's soap, Pyola, and frequent rinsing. I dislike using more toxic chemicals but I guess I'm finally going to have to.  I assume the Bayer Advanced 3 in 1 could also be effective for this small infestation?
Thanks for the info.

dave

[Charlie]

Yes, imidacloprid works great on aphids. The Bayers 3-in-1 is intended for spraying and so does not have the long lasting systemic effect of the drench formula but it still should take care of the aphids. Make a second treatment if the first is not completely effective within a week.

This is the time of year to get them, too, because the eggs produced now are the ones that will hidden over the winter to hatch out in spring with a vengeance. Aphids are so odd - females reproducing without males all summer and then this last generation coming from male/female interaction. A detailed account is on the HVH web site Care Section, Pests pages but here is the part about reproduction of aphids:

The reproduction of aphids is strange and fascinating. Typically it goes like this: One or more eggs laid in fall will overwinter on a leaf. In spring when the weather warms up, that egg will hatch. All the newborns will be females, and those females will give live birth (not eggs) to baby aphids that are genetically identical to themselves without any involvement with a male aphid. Within a few days, these new females will also begin giving live birth to more genetically identical females. In this way aphids may go through 40 generations of reproductions within one summer. This can result in literally billions of aphids unless some are killed by predators or human intervention. In the Fall, as the temperatures drop, winged males are born. Females mate with these males and then lay the eggs that are overwintered on leaves. When food supplies dwindle winged females are born. These then migrate to other plants where the whole process begins again.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Ugh I am going to get Bayer 3:1, I found flies on all my plants.  I dont know where they came from, but it looks like there is nothing else i can do.  Ill let u know if it works.