For those who garden in the Treasure Valley, whiteflies can be a huge problem. These very small, aphid-like bugs can quickly cause huge amounts of damage to your plants, and sometimes can even make them die! It’s no wonder, then, that a whitefly infestation can be a nightmare for gardeners and plant lovers alike. Unfortunately, though, these pests can be hard to control.
Some whiteflies develop an immunity to pesticides. In addition, their population can continuously replenish, due to their fast maturation. All of these combined can spell out a potential nightmare for your plants! Here are the best Kuna whitefly pest control solutions to help keep your garden healthy and pest-free.
Identification
Before going into options for pest control, it’s important that you know what you’re looking for. Whiteflies are quite small, only about 1/12 of an inch long. They’re white or whitish-yellow, and typically congregate in large numbers on the underside of leaves. Because they prefer the backside of leaves, populations often go undetected until they’re quite large. When evaluating whether you have a Kuna whitefly pest control issue, you should also be on the lookout for whitefly nymphs which are small, flat, and disk-like in appearance. These nymphs are also usually located on the underside of plant leaves.
Pest Control Options
Like mentioned above, exterminating whiteflies can be problematic because some species have developed a resistance to traditional pesticides. Here are some suggestions that some gardeners have found effective in eliminating whiteflies without the use of pesticides:
- Garden hose: Using the water from your hose on high power, blast the plants where the whiteflies are living. This will scatter them.
- Dishwashing liquid: Combine a squirt of dishwashing liquid and a gallon of water. Then, using this mixture, spray your affected plants. Be sure to only spray plants in cooler temperatures, however, as your plants might react adversely to the mixture.
- Vacuum: Every few days, use a handheld vacuum to suck up live whiteflies and nymphs off your plants. Make sure to be thorough, as only a few left unnoticed can lay eggs and create a larger problem within a few weeks.
- Homemade sticky traps: Purchase yellow index cards and coat these with petroleum jelly. Place the coated cards next to affected plants. The whiteflies will be drawn to the color and become stuck once landing on the card.
Unfortunately, whiteflies can be a nuisance to eradicate. Because of this, it’s often best to consult a pest control agency to handle the issue for you. Using a combination of the methods above as well as selective use of appropriate insecticides, they can help rid your plants of your whiteflies much faster than you likely could on your own.
In the Treasure Valley, Get Lost Pest Control is a great option for Kuna whitefly pest control. Our trained professionals can save your plants and save you time, energy, and money. Call us today to see how our services can prevent pests from damaging your garden and keep it looking just as beautiful as you designed it to be.