Vegetable Plant Treatment for Whiteflies Without Pesticides?

[SpringWaterGrower]

How do I treat for whiteflies, without using pesticides?

[applestar]

On what plant? First defense is sticky traps, I think.

[SpringWaterGrower]

For now, eggplants

[bri80]

Whiteflies are tough, especially if they get to the point where it's a heavy infestation. I've had limited success with sticky traps, personally. This product helped some, also with aphids:
https://smile.amazon.com/Bug-Blaster-BB ... B00MP3JLFU
You basically go around spraying high pressure water under all the leaves and it kills a bunch of them. Never all though. And you'll get soaked, so wear a bathing suit.

You might also try neem oil.

[applestar]

If not using pesticides, how is your Garden Patrol situation? Are you attracting beneficial insects with flowers they like? Allowing a certain amount of infestation, etc?

Of course where you are, white flies are serious pests and threat because they transmit plant diseases. You may not have the option to be lenient. If only few plants, you might enclose and fumigate or release beneficials inside the enclosure to trap them with the plants and pests.

[SpringWaterGrower]

I don't have any beneficials. What would be a beneficial? Don't really wanna use pesticides.

[applestar]

Are you willing to go buy some? I think adult ladybugs and green lacewing eggs are probably easiest for first time.

This article might explain a bit better --

ENY-822/IN120: Natural Enemies and Biological Control
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in120

Natural Enemies and Biological Control1
Hugh A. Smith and John L. Capinera2

Good Bugs and Bad Bugs
Any organism that feeds on another organism is its natural enemy. Insects that are natural enemies of pests are called beneficial insects. Other arthropods such as spiders and certain mites also are beneficial.

[SpringWaterGrower]

Where would I order Lady Bugs from? I'm in North Central FL

[applestar]

Info was in the linked article....

[imafan26]

Most greenhouse whiteflies are very resistent to pesticides. It is also hard to kill the adults who just fly off.
Purple ladybugs are the best white fly predator. Unfortunately the reason for the cyclical nature of whiteflies has much to do with the predator/prey cycle. The ladybugs eat a lot of whiteflies and when they eat most of them, the predator numbers dwindle until the whitefly numbers rise again. It is a two year cycle. Two years of bad whiteflies followed by 2 years of relatively manageable infestations. BTW these ladybugs bite.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/568890/bgimage

If you have this bug and the larvae in your area, 9 were released in Hawaii to control whiteflies initially and they thrived.

Plant corn, it attracts ladybugs. Actually the aphids do, but the ladybugs will eat the whiteflies too.
Ant control. Ants will farm the nymphs so ants bait needs to be used to control them.
White flies have their favorite plants and some weeds. You need to eliminate the weeds and keep an eye on their favorite plants. Early control is a must.

Like slugs and snails, it is impossible to get rid of them entirely. The adults fly away and fly in from the neighboring areas so you just have to do the best you can.

Control
1. A blast of water from the hose under the leaves to knock off the eggs and nymphs. Favorite plants for them are tomatoes, beans, peas, hibiscus, eggplant, pepper, poinsettia, plumeria, and papaya. (pretty much any tasty plant with broad leaves). You have to do this daily to annoy them to death.
2. Alcohol, horticultural oil do work but you need to be careful not to spray on hot days or the plants can burn. If the plants are in pots, it is more effective to dunk them head first in a solution of insecticidal oil or soap (do not use soap on peppers), for a few minutes every three days to get thorough coverage.
3. For heavy infestations on their favorite plants. Cut back the plants that can take it and make sure you bag and seal the remains. The adults will fly off so you will have to keep checking the remaining plants and don't let them get established.
4. I plant corn to eat but it also attracts the purple ladybugs better than any other plant. The regular ladybugs do eat whiteflies but not as much as the ladybug predator.
5. It does not make sense to purchase predators because most of them will not stick around if you have not provided a habitat for them. They need to have water, shelter and host plants that will provide nectar for the adults. Once the food is gone, they will take off. You cannot use other insecticides if you go the beneficial route. You will kill off the predators faster than the pests.

[rainbowgardener]

Whiteflies are soft bodied, so they are susceptible to soapy water spray. Safer soap is a commercial form of it, that may be more effective, because it has lipids and seaweed extract, but you can make your own. Put a little bit of true soap (not detergent, which can burn your plants) and a few drops of salad oil in a quart of water and spray.

Neem oil as well as horticultural oils should work against them.

[KitchenGardener]

Imafan: great info on white flies, thanks. I had never had them before, but found a few on my brassicas this year. It was funny, cuz I saw these tiny things on the underside of the leaves, and just assumed they were some kind of light colored aphid. Sure was surprised when I went to squish them (the colony was small only about ten of them) and the majority of them flew off!

I have a great population of lady bugs, so while I did check some neighboring plants, I am not too concerned as I honestly think they picked the wrong garden to mess with!