What the whitefly looks like
A tiny butterfly, barely reaching 3 mm in length, with a waxy coating on its wings and looking as if dusted with flour, seems like a harmless insect. The whitefly, as this butterfly is called, – is a true disaster for dacha owners and gardeners. It is a tireless and voracious predator. The whitefly, in the literal sense of the word, sucks the juices out of any plants, including weeds. On top of that, this insect carries on its wings a heap of infection – fungi, bacteria, viruses that do not spare the surrounding flora.
The whitefly greedily devours growing vegetables in greenhouses, destroys tomatoes and cucumbers, carrots, and eggplants in the open ground. This butterfly is tireless in its voracity. The whitefly ruins fruit trees, berries, and even gets to houseplants.
The second half of summer – is the most favorable time for the whitefly to breed. It should be noted that under the snow cover, this tiny butterfly survived the winter perfectly and by spring had built up its strength. And now, on hot summer days, the whitefly is ready to produce countless offspring.
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Signs of infestation
This pest lays eggs on the underside of the leaf blades, which it deftly and securely fastens in a way known only to it. Not even two days pass before gray larvae appear. Obeying their predatory instinct, they quickly crawl in search of food. Each larva sticks to a leaf and slowly, gradually devours it. In about 3 weeks it turns into an adult butterfly, which makes a new clutch of eggs. The whitefly – is one of the most prolific insects on the planet. And just one individual is capable of laying up to 300 eggs in a season.
The appearance of the whitefly on a plot can be identified by several signs. For instance, you only have to touch a gnawed plant, and clouds of midges take to the air. If you turn over a leaf, you will find on its surface not only larvae but also adult butterflies. And in huge numbers, at that. And dark spots on the leaf blade indicate that the whitefly has already managed to infect the plant with sooty mold.
How to combat the whitefly: 3 methods
The fight against the whitefly, because of its incredible fertility and hardiness, is not easy. And in this matter you mustn’t delay: otherwise it will inflict significant damage on any vegetable or fruit crop. Apple cider vinegar – is a well-known remedy that effectively destroys pests. All the more so since this method is safe for healthy plants. The mixture is prepared as follows: 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar is diluted in 1 liter of clean water. The plot is treated with the solution every 5 days.
The foam of tar soap – is a decent method in the fight against the voracious butterflies. As is an infusion of garlic, which can be used alternately with a tobacco decoction.
Experienced gardeners often resort to the help of sticky traps. They are less trouble and bring tangible benefit in the fight against the whitefly. By the way, 1 tablespoon of ammonia diluted in a bucket of water yields a solution that can be called a sort of preventive remedy. And this mixture is usually applied a week before the plants flower.
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