Sollution for plants hit with a double whammy

[Guest English Rose]

Checking my plants today and the 5' naranja tree was covered in white fly with a few scale as well. How do they arrive on the plants, on the wind, climb from below or via birds? What is the latest method of getting rid of both? Please not the garlic or tobacco mixture. Is there a spray or a companion plant that can keep these pests away?

Appreciate any help.

😊A happy solution that works. I found this on the internet but don't know where.

~~~You can mix up a simple recipe for an insecticide spray for whiteflies right in your kitchen. First, make a base mixture with 1 tablespoon of regular dish soap (not one with added bleach or an antibacterial soap) and 1 cup of vegetable oil. Pour it into a bottle that can be sealed, and shake well to mix.

Note: This recipe must be diluted before using it on your plants.

Diluting the Recipe

Now that you have your base, you can mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of it into a cup of water. Mix this in a spray bottle, and shake it well. Oil and water do not mix, so it needs to be shaken often as you are using it.

Using the Spray

Once your spray is properly diluted and mixed, you can spray your affected plants. Be sure to spray the undersides of leaves, since this is where the whiteflies tend to be. This mixture kills adult whiteflies and smothers the larvae and eggs as long as they are covered in the spray, so be sure to apply it liberally. Reapply as needed after rain or watering your plants.

I sprayed till the tree was dripping and next day there was no sign of any insects. I sprayed again 10 days later and there was no adverse effects to the plant.~~~

😄 A simple solution, 😁 happy plant, 😊 a happy gardener.

[CHILLIN]

This did not work for me. With our intense sun the oil burns and kills the leaves. What works conclusively is Ortho Home Defense, for up to six months. It is a pesticide, yes, but not as strong as most. We found the whiteflies had heavily invaded a ficus hedge, and then spread from there. Do not spray when bees are around, they are too valuable.

[Guest English Rose]

5 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

This did not work for me. With our intense sun the oil burns and kills the leaves. What works conclusively is Ortho Home Defense, for up to six months. It is a pesticide, yes, but not as strong as most. We found the whiteflies had heavily invaded a ficus hedge, and then spread from there. Do not spray when bees are around, they are too valuable.

Of course the sun on the oil will burn but why would you spray any plant with anything  while in the sun. The naranja tree gets dapple sun about 2 - 3 hrs in the afternoon and has no burn signs and is doing fine.