How to Control Whiteflies on Outdoor Plants
Whiteflies can kill your plants by sucking the juice out of them. They are very small and hard to see, but you will know they are there by looking at the leaves on your plants. Many whiteflies can invade one plant and cause it to die if they are not removed. You can remove whiteflies in outdoor plants in a few short steps.
Supplies
- Garden hose with nozzle
- Sticky trap
- Vacuum cleaner with hose
- Insecticidal soap
- Chemical spray
- Look at the leaves on the plants to make sure you have a problem with whiteflies. You may see a moldy fungus on the leaves and stem on the plant if it has been infected by whiteflies. You also may see whiteflies flying around the plants. The leaves will not look healthy and may even be dying, depending upon how long they have been infested with whiteflies.
- Use your garden hose to spray off the plants, making sure you get the top and bottom of the leaves, as whiteflies like the underside of the leaf the best. Spray hard enough to remove the whiteflies, but not too hard as to damage the leaves on the plant.
- Purchase some sticky traps at any home supply store and hang them near the plants with the whiteflies problem. When the whiteflies land on the sticky trap, they will be stuck and eventually die.
- Attach a hose to your vacuum cleaner and use it to vacuum the whiteflies off of the leaves of the plants. Throw away the vacuum bag when you are finished.
- Spray insecticidal soap on the leaves of the plants to kill the whiteflies. Purchase chemical sprays especially made for whiteflies at a nursery. Tell the nursery worker you are having a problem with whiteflies and ask them what you should purchase.