Pests in my herbs!
I have a few potted herbs growing near a window in ym Minnesota apartment. (sweet basil, oregano, chives, and a philedendron) There are tiny white bugs crawling on the leaves. They are about 1 to 1.5 mm long and they jump or fly away when I try to reach for them. Does anyone know what they could be or if they will do harm and how I can get rid of them?
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grandpasrose
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What you describe sounds like whiteflies. Whiteflies are a very prolific pest once they get established. They thrive on the sap of your fruit and plant. The have a short incubation period, so new batches are hatching all the time. For this reason, you need to give repeated treatments to your plants over a period of time.
Insecticidal Soap spray should work, as it prevents more eggs from being laid. But there will be eggs already laid that will hatch, so you need to keep spraying until you no longer see any whiteflies. Persistence is the key!
Definitely do not just let it be, the plant and fruit may not be affected now, but they will soon see the effects and become skeletonized sad versions of their prior selves.
Hope this helps!
Val
Insecticidal Soap spray should work, as it prevents more eggs from being laid. But there will be eggs already laid that will hatch, so you need to keep spraying until you no longer see any whiteflies. Persistence is the key!
Definitely do not just let it be, the plant and fruit may not be affected now, but they will soon see the effects and become skeletonized sad versions of their prior selves.
Hope this helps!
Val
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opabinia51
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opabinia51
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The Helpful Gardener
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Thanks for the tips. I got some spray called Shultz Insect Killer at a local nursery and it seems to be working. In the nick of time too, some small basil plants have died and the oregano has spotty areas of dead leaves.
I've done three doses so far a couple days apart, and they seem to be coming back less and less. Would it help to cut away a lot of the foliage to get rid of many of their eggs? I have read that it's good to do so anyway in order to make the new growth thicker.
I've done three doses so far a couple days apart, and they seem to be coming back less and less. Would it help to cut away a lot of the foliage to get rid of many of their eggs? I have read that it's good to do so anyway in order to make the new growth thicker.
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opabinia51
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I'm curious as to what spray you bought from the nursery? We don't recommend broadscale insecticides here for this reason:
Insecticides kill the best but also all the beneficials as well. And there are way, way, way more beneficial insects and microfaua living on plants then there are pests.
As far as removing the infected leaves, that would be a good idea provided that you burned the leaves to kill the eggs. Otherwise, if you put them some other place, they will just hatch and infect that area.
Insecticides kill the best but also all the beneficials as well. And there are way, way, way more beneficial insects and microfaua living on plants then there are pests.
As far as removing the infected leaves, that would be a good idea provided that you burned the leaves to kill the eggs. Otherwise, if you put them some other place, they will just hatch and infect that area.