Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockporter
I'm glad you will try it for two applications but your infestation and mine might be different. You might need more than two applications. You might need to do spray twice in a week.
This stuff works by smothering the whitefly eggs and killing them off. If you spray and then you still have whitefly hanging around you will have more eggs, spray until the infestation is gone. I believe, but don't quote me, the eggs hatch once per week or so??
Just make sure you spray when the sun is going down and there is no chance of sunburn on your plants.
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Thanks Rockporter.
Believe you me, you are preaching to the choir on this one! I know all about the smothering, all the various instars, and what stages in the life cycle the whiteflies are stationary and when they become mobile, I know to spray early or very late to avoid leaf frying, I just said 2 times because I think you mentioned it, but I really need to keep it up every 4 days for the entire season. I know the soap ruptures the wax they have on their soft bodies as well as the oil smothering them.
It only takes one whitefly feeding on your tomato for 15 minutes to give the plant TYLCV, then that tomato is done. Better pull it or other whiteflies will feed from it and hop to your next tomato to feed.
I also know it is the silverleaf whitefly that gets tomatoes, called that because it turns cabbage leaves silver. It is much smaller in size than some of the other types, but not smaller in destruction. It also likes other nightshades such as eggplant, as well as many weed types.
In our neighborhood we also have ficus whiteflies devastating our landscaping bushes, spiral whiteflies are the new kids on the block, and they have made themselves at home in a big way, on bananas, some types of oak trees, etc.
I make yellow sticky traps out of solo cups I spray yellow, then coat with vaseline, because they are attracted to yellow, and they fly into it and stick there.
All that "knowing" and our neighborhood is still infested!
-Marsha