Whitefly Treatment

Pestwise uses a combination of both a root drenching, a topical liquid application, and granular systemic insecticides to eliminate ficus whitefly. The choice of application is based on the time of year. For the ficus whitefly a full spraying of the plant is recommended for immediate control followed by either a drenching of the root base and/or an application of a granular systemic product applied to the root base to provide long lasting residual protection. This treatment process can provide up to 6 months of protection and follow up treatments are recommended throughout the year. It is very important that this treatment process begin either preventatively or soon after whiteflies or the damage they cause is noticed. Once ficus hedge damage is too severe they may not fully recover.

The gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly has a much broader range of host plants including g gumbo limbo, black olive, mango, Brazilian pepper, cocoplum, wax myrtle, live oak and a variety of palm trees including areca, coconut, date palms, and many more.

Much is still being learned about the gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly. What is known is that the adult whiteflies are 3 to 10 times the size of other types of whitefly and move much slower.

Adults congregate on the underside of leaves to feed and reproduce. The female lays her eggs in a spiral pattern on the leaves and also deposits a white, waxy substance on the eggs. The crawler stage that hatches from the eggs starts to fee with its needle-like mouthparts. The crawler will molt and go through many stages. It is believed that it is the immature stages of this pest, and not the adults, that cause the most damage.

Damage to Plants: The ficus whitefly typically feed on the underside of leaves and use their needle-like mouthparts to pierce the plant and suck juices from them causing wilting, yellowing, stunting, leaf drop, and in extreme cases death. The gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly’s most noticeable symptoms are the white, waxy material that covers the leaves, the tremendous amount of “honeydew” that is produced, and the black sooty mold growth that sticks to the honeydew. Although the actual effects on plants are still being learned it is a fact that plant decline, defoliation and branch dieback can certainly result if left untreated.