Whiteflies are also a bit sneaky. Adult whiteflies lay eggs on the underside of leaves. It could be argued that whiteflies “hide” their eggs there, and in many instances, the eggs do escape detection. The adult whitefly female can lay hundreds of eggs on the underside of leaves, usually in a circular pattern. In hotter weather, one whitefly can even go from egg stage to grown adult in just 16 days. Since whiteflies live for a month or two, in warmer climates and in greenhouses, the reproduction cycle is almost continuous and the growth of the population is geometric. You’re likely to find whiteflies in warmer regions, including greenhouses. Then again, whiteflies are survivors, and they won’t turn away from cooler temperatures. They can attack fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants with equal enthusiasm. No matter where you live, it’s important to know how to kill whiteflies and protect your plants.

1. LIFE CYCLE AND
MANAGEMENT OF
WHITEFLY
BY NOSHAD LAGHARI

2. 16-25 DAYS

3. • Whiteflies are also a bit sneaky. Adult whiteflies lay
eggs on the underside of leaves. It could be argued
that whiteflies “hide” their eggs there, and in many
instances, the eggs do escape detection.The adult
whitefly female can lay hundreds of eggs on the
underside of leaves, usually in a circular pattern. In
hotter weather, one whitefly can even go from egg
stage to grown adult in just 16 days. Since whiteflies
live for a month or two, in warmer climates and in
greenhouses, the reproduction cycle is almost
continuous and the growth of the population is
geometric.
• You’re likely to find whiteflies in warmer regions,
including greenhouses.Then again, whiteflies are
survivors, and they won’t turn away from cooler
temperatures.They can attack fruits, vegetables and
ornamental plants with equal enthusiasm. No matter
where you live, it’s important to know how to kill
whiteflies and protect your plants.

4. ProtectYour Plants from
Whitefly

5. • Whiteflies take their nourishment from the host
plant by sucking on plant juices. When a plant has
multiple whiteflies attached, the plant becomes
weak and is more prone to viral diseases that
whiteflies carry.Whiteflies then turn the juices into a
thick, gooey substance called honeydew.The
honeydew attracts sooty mold and a blackish
fungus — in some cases, the honeydew covers so
much of the plant that they are not able to
photosynthesize properly. If you find leaves that are
damaged from whiteflies, cut them off immediately.
• If you’re looking for other ways to control whiteflies,
chemical pesticides are not always the best solution.
There are two main drawbacks to this approach: 1)
Whiteflies often develop a tolerance to the toxins,
much like viruses mutate to make certain antibiotics
ineffective. 2) Pesticides are indiscriminate killers.
You want to kill whiteflies, but you want whitefly-
destroying bugs to live.

6. • Your best bet for stopping a whitefly infestation
is to be vigilant before an infestation occurs. Do a
thorough and careful inspection of all your
plants twice a week — inspect them more
frequently if you have experienced an outbreak.
Remember that the pre-adult whiteflies are
almost clear, so they appear to be the same color
as the leaves. Be sure to check the undersides of
leaves as well, since most whiteflies are drawn to
this area.

7. GETTING RID OF
WHITEFLIES

8. Controls: Insecticidal soaps & neem oils are best if
you have children & pets in the house. Both leave a
small environmental footprint. Neem oils work by
suffocating the insect, but you should follow the
instructions exactly to prevent burning or scalding
plants.Test plants by administering neem oil to a
small section and waiting 24 hours to see if
burning/scalding occurs. Soaps and oils kill on
contact, so don’t forget to reapply two or three
times.These solutions work best if the temperature
is less than 90 degrees. Hotter temperatures also
encourage browning or wilting leaves.
Aluminum Reflective Mulch: The mulch
makes it difficult for whiteflies to find the host
plants.They are, in a sense, blinded by the light.This
approach is particularly good for protecting your
vegetables from diseases that whiteflies can
transmit.

9. Yellow StickyTraps: Use these to collect
whiteflies lurking among your crops. Not only will
they capture annoying little whiteflies in your
home or garden but will also get rid of aphids,
thrips, leap miners, gnats and fruit flies.These
flies are drawn to yellow and our Safer® Brand
StickyWhiteflyTrap is sticky enough to catch the
pests.
Water: Use a jet of water to blast whiteflies and
wash them off your plants and leaves.You should
then rub a weak solution of insecticidal soap onto
the leaves in the late afternoon. Repeat this
process every week to control and get rid of
whiteflies.
Vacuum:This is one of the best ways to get rid
of whiteflies on plants if the infestation is limited
to a few plants or a small area.

10. Natural Predators: You can purchase spiders,
female beetles, parasitic wasps and lacewings at most
gardening shops and add them to your garden to battle
whiteflies without hurting beneficial plants.While
female beetles and lacewings eat the eggs of whiteflies,
spiders “net” the grown whiteflies for food and parasitic
wasps lay eggs inside the whitefly’s body.The larvae use
the host insect as food before moving on to the adult
phase.
However, ants are insects you don’t want if you have
whiteflies. Ants eat the honeydew and they are focused
on protecting this food source. If you’re introducing
beneficial bugs to your garden, put ant traps at the
stems of plants with whiteflies.You should also put traps
under plants that are growing close to the infected ones.
Environmental Controls: Pruning the affected
vegetation may be helpful in reducing whiteflies. Again,
put ant baits on the ground to control ants.