Help, white flies are out of control

[natbug]

I have 2 new basil plants and the white flies love them too much. I have tried the only pesticide available at Home Depot but they just laugh at me. Do any of you gardeners have a suggestion to get rid of the little buggers?

[natbug]

I'll give it a shot, thanks Joco.

[jrm30655]

White flies are indestructable. I never found a pesticide that would actually kill them. Adding a few drops of dish detergent to the garlic solution will help in driving them off.

In a greenhouse you can buy some tiny bees of some kind and turn them loose. I bought 1000 of them (came in a small pill bottle) and turned them loose in a greenhouse and they dropped off considerably. In a greenhouse, you can also get a yellow sticky tape that attracts them. I have no idea how that would work outside.

Shaking the plants a couple times of day and using a fine, hard water spray under the leaves will run them off temporarily.

[ChrisB]

We use a tobacco/soap spray under the leaves prepared as with the garlic

[Aquaponicsman]

I use a Habenero spray (Habeneros diced and fermented in water and vinegar in the sun for 3 days in a closed jar, strained and put in a spray bottle) for keeping birds from roosting in nooks and crannies, as well as a pesticide for many plants. I never tried it for white flies, though. It might work. It is amazing stuff!

(Do not wipe eyes after dicing Habeneros!)

[RVGRINGO]

Sounds like a possible recipe for habañero salad dressing.

[natbug]

Thanks all, I will probably try them all and let you know what worked best. ChrisB and Aguaponicsman are there proportions that work best? Oh, and I have made the same mistake with habeneros...OUCH, my sympathies. RVGringo, might need a bit of sugar to balance all the hot and acid but might be very good. JRM, I was wondering about some dish detergent too so I will probably try it, but maybe not on the soil...to spray on the leaves perhaps?

[jrm30655]

Thanks all, I will probably try them all and let you know what worked best. ChrisB and Aguaponicsman are there proportions that work best? Oh, and I have made the same mistake with habeneros...OUCH, my sympathies. RVGringo, might need a bit of sugar to balance all the hot and acid but might be very good. JRM, I was wondering about some dish detergent too so I will probably try it, but maybe not on the soil...to spray on the leaves perhaps?

Spraying white flies with detergent and water (1:30) will definately slow them down.

White flies are sap suckers. They make some stuff for sap suckers but I wouldn't use it on anything I was going to eat.

Probably the best way to handle it is to start the plants indoors and transplant late. Then feed them well and water well. The stronger they are, the better. Once White flies get into a greenhouse, the only real thing that works safely is the bees.

I always closed up the greenhouse in July and August and the temp and sun killed everything. Just baked it to death.

Sterilize all the pots with Clorox and water and let them dry well before using.

[JayBearII]

General gardening note: I have noticed that the gardeners here do not spray water on the plants they water. Since we go for several months without rain, the plants can use just plain washing with water. NOT a cure for white flies BUT it does help the plants' health and drowns some of the white flies too.

[maxx]

Take a spray bottle and put one teaspoon of detergent one teaspoonof rubbing alcohol and fill with water .Spray plant .

[osuespirit]

We got rid of them last week from Basil with just a soap spray. That is what we used in Houston.

[ChrisB]

the tobacco isn't working - one box of cheap cigs, sans filters, broken up. Our gardener is next trying peroxide in water.

[natbug]

OK, scratch tobacco, got it. Thanks ChrisB

[PULELEHUA]

Yellow sticky cards attract just about everything except thrips. I have used sticky cards here in the tomato and vegetable gardens. The problem is the cards are quickly covered with the large and varied quantity of small flying insects, especially after the rain season begins. Thrips seem to prefer blue and I have had some success dipping blue cups in very thick motor oil and clipping the cups to jaulas and support stakes.

[natbug]

So I made and used the dish detergent and vinegar solution. It kept them to a minimum for several days to a week. Now they are back. I will spray them again tonight and made the garlic solution which is sitting in the sun now and will be ready in a couple of days. The saga continues. lol

[rufus]

I would try bacillus thuringiensis. Just dissove it in water and spray it on the foliage. It is supposed to be harmless to humans, but I would wash the produce well before using.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

Read about it and them make up your mind.

[ShanConshue]

I am the anti pesticide type.. so I use a stick, think a paint stirrer, painted bright yellow. then I let it dry and coat it in Vaseline.. the cheaper the better.. they fly on it it and cant get free of it.. then I throw it out

no worries for kids or pets

shan

[natbug]

I was wondering about planting garlic, do you know how big they get? My herbs are planted in pots and I don't want them to be overtaken by the garlic.

The paint stirrer sound safe and cheap so I'll pick one up along with some paint this week.

Haven't read about thuringiensis yet but will let you know what I decide.

Thanks to all the gardeners for your help.

[joco69]

I was wondering about planting garlic, do you know how big they get? My herbs are planted in pots and I don't want them to be overtaken by the garlic.

The paint stirrer sound safe and cheap so I'll pick one up along with some paint this week.

Haven't read about thuringiensis yet but will let you know what I decide.

Thanks to all the gardeners for your help.

The garlic plant is a nice long leave that you can use in preparing soups, sauces etc, gives a great taste to it. Its rather decorative in your pot if planted around the outsides.

[Frijoles]

So, natbug, did you ever get rid of the white flies? If so, what worked best? Thanks.

[bmh]

In Chiapas the Maya use 3 red onions chopped up, 3 cloves chpped up of garlic, 2 cups of flour (corn), 1 cup of foca soap 4 liters of water and let the mixture macerate for 8 days then spray regularky. As they say you can control them but you cannot eliminate them.

[HarryB]

BT has been the organic gardeners friend for many years. We used it in the nursery I worked for because it was allowable in NJ in a space open to the public. I used to buy it from Gardens Alive online. Don't know if they are still in business. Neem oil is also a safe pesticide. In India they brush their teeth with the twigs!! A long time back I remember the evil wizards at Monsanto got permission to clone potato starts with the BT in the potatoes genes!! Of course the USDA let them without any long term studies as to how eating the grown up potato would effect humans!! Never did hear if they succeeded as the organic people went berserk with law suits. Ya just never know! Crap! still not used to Harry having his own ID..this is Chris with the hort degree!!

[Frijoles]

Looks like Gardens Alive is still in business but I don't see BT.

http://www.gardensalive.com/category.asp?start=0&c=13

[natbug]

Well, the white flies are not gone, but they are reduced to manageable numbers. I use a spray of garlic water and dish detergent. I have found that as the plants got larger the flies diminished. I spray them every few days and make sure to wash the leaves before I use them.

[PULELEHUA]

At Gardens Alive, enter search for Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)