What are the whitefly damage symptoms?

A common ornamental plant pest, whiteflies puncture the underside of leaves and suck fluids from plants, via piercing-sucking mouthparts. Whitefly infestations can be hard to spot until leaves turn yellow and spotted leaves begin dropping off your ornamental plants unexpectedly. If shaking an ornamental plant produces clouds of whiteflies emerging from the plant, then you can see you have a whitefly issue. The most common whiteflies in West Florida include:

• Silverleaf
• Ficus
• Citrus

Trying to get rid of whiteflies using insecticides usually isn’t the first line of defense because these chemicals can also eliminate whitefly predators that feed on “honeydew,” a sticky, sweet substance that whiteflies, mealybugs, and aphids secrete. These predators include birds, ants, wasps, and honey bees. Without these predators, your whitefly problem could get worse. Checking the undersides of leaves regularly and contacting a professional pest control service such as Pestwise to schedule an appointment for whitefly treatment will help eliminate whiteflies