Whitefly Identification In Florida

What Are Whiteflies?

Whiteflies are tiny insects that thrive in warm weather. They use their piercing mouthparts to suck the sap out of plants. Though whiteflies are small, they can become a big problem for homeowners. Whiteflies in West Palm Beach have defoliated ficus hedges in the area and damaged many coconut palm trees.

Despite their name, whiteflies are not true flies; they are more closely related to other garden pests like aphids, scales, and mealybugs. Tiny in size, whiteflies grow to about 2mm long and are a triangular shape. Whiteflies resemble small moths. Adults have yellowish bodies and four whitish-colored wings, and their bodies and wings have a waxy covering.

What Plants do Whiteflies Damage?

High populations of whiteflies are damaging to plants. As the adults feed, they pierce the leaves sucking juice and sap from them.

Their feeding behavior causes the leaves on plants and trees to yellow, wither, and die before their time. These pests are also able to transmit a wide variety of viruses from plant to plant as they feed.

Another problem with these pests is that they secrete “honeydew”. Honeydew is a sweet sticky substance that grows “sooty mold”. The fungus turns the leaves black and dirty and causes the plants to become stressed. Also, the sticky substance attracts various other insects, including ants.

Honeydew produced by whiteflies is also known to cause damage to pools, driveways, patios, pavers, furniture and vehicles parked underneath whitefly-infested shrubs and trees.

Most properties we inspect for whitefly in the West Palm Beach area have whiteflies present on either ornamental shrubs or trees. As a result, there is a literal buffet of food (honeydew) for ants to eat surrounding area homes, which is a big reason why ants get into so many South Florida homes. 

Why Do I Have A Whitefly Problem?

Whitefly populations grow very fast in warm weather, which is why they are such a problem throughout South Florida. In temperate weather regions, these pests are active year-round.

Whiteflies move from plant to plant to feed. Their large populations help to protect them from being wiped out by predators like spiders and ladybugs. Whiteflies living together in large populations make controlling and eliminating these pests very difficult.

Our experience has shown us that many traditional pesticides are ineffective on whiteflies, since they have developed a resistance to the most commonly used pest control products. Our guaranteed whitefly control method relies on systemic treatments applied to the roots of ficus hedges, ficus trees, palm trees and other susceptible plants.

Where Do I Find Whiteflies?

Whitefly adults live and feed on the underside of plant leaves. When disturbed, it is common to see these tiny insects fly off together in a swarm.

Whiteflies also lay their eggs on the underside of leaves. When they hatch, the larvae look like tiny white, legless ovals. The larvae immediately begin feeding on plant sap from the leaves. Each female is capable of producing 400 eggs in its lifetime.

When we perform a free inspection on your property, we will look underneath ficus leaves and palm fronds to identify the presence of whiteflies. If you see whitefly eggs or larvae underneath leaves, expect the infested shrubs to soon lose their leaves due to defoliation.

Whiteflies will find their way onto your property on their own, as they are carried with wind from neighboring properties and are attracted by ornamental plants, ficus hedges, trees, or shrubs in your yard.

Many people also unknowingly introduce them into their yards after purchasing infested plants or trees from nurseries. They also sometimes get into or around our homes from potted plants.

How Do I Get Rid Of Whiteflies?

At Native Pest Management, we understand how frustrating a whitefly infestation can be. To help you maintain your sanity and protect your yard’s plants and trees, we offer guaranteed quarterly whitefly service to help keep your landscape healthy and lush.

If you are experiencing problems with whiteflies, or simply want to prevent them from infesting your yard in the future, contact Native Pest Management today. We will be happy to help you get rid of whiteflies from your property. Call today to set up a free inspection or to learn more about our effective whitefly control services!

How Can I Prevent Whiteflies In The Future?

Preventing problems with whiteflies is difficult. The best solution to your whitefly problem is to partner with the licensed professionals here at Native Pest Management. With over 1000 five-star reviews on sites including Google, Yelp, HomeAdvisor, Angie's List, BBB, and Thumbtack, we know you will be happy with the guaranteed results we provide.

In addition to giving us a call, the following tips can help to deter these pests:

• Use a reflective mulch, which helps to deter whiteflies.
• Keep shrubs and trees well fertilized to keep them healthy and better able to fight off whitefly damage. We at Native Pest Management also offer a quarterly granular fertilization program for lawns, shrubs, and trees.
• Regular trim trees and shrubs to allow more sunlight penetration into your landscape, which will help generate new leaf growth.
• Avoid using a company that sprays your ficus monthly, as this kills beneficial insects that eat whiteflies and likely involves the use of products whiteflies are resistant to.
• Use a garden hose to wash whiteflies off of the leaves they are feeding on.
• Remove ornamental plants that seem to be defoliated by whiteflies from your property.
• Remove leaves from plants that are infested or have been damaged by whiteflies.