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Whiteflies!© a.k.a. MBR
The greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporiorum, Family Aleyrodidae) is a
cute, fuzzy little insect which must be destroyed to prevent infestation and
crop destruction!
The yellowish eggs hatch into white Nymphs which attach themselves to the underside of plants' leaves with a wax-like coating. These Nymphs are non- feeding and resemble scales. The adults spend almost all of their time feeding on plants' juices and hanging out underneath the leaves, making them difficult to notice and expel. A quick shaking of plants will cause the adults to scatter and become visible. While they resemble nice little white moths when magnified, they are very injurious to plants. These creatures can be controlled as other insects, using organic pesticides or home-made concoctions of household agents, or good-old squashing techniques can be employed with great success. Biological control agents such as the Whitefly Parasite (Encarsia formosa) and the Whitefly Predator (Delphastus pusillus) can be very effective when used appropriately in pertinent circumstances. Encarsia formosa is a tiny parasitic wasp which incubates inside the Whitefly larvae and emerges to ingest the host. The adults also kill Whiteflies for food. Delphastus pusillus is a little beetle which feed on Whitefly eggs, thus interrupting the reproductive cycle and causing population depletion. It is our opinion that organic insecticides are usually your best bet when time is a concern, which it is in most cases when bugs are in the midst of killing your plants.
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The copyright of the article Whiteflies! in Hydroponic Gardening is owned by a.k.a. MBR. Permission to republish Whiteflies! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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