Whiteflies are tiny insects (about 1/16 of an inch) that do serious damage to plants by sucking out their juices. Because whiteflies suck out more plant juice than they can digest, the excess is excreted as a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew covers leaf surfaces and acts as a growth medium for a black, sooty mold. Both the removal of plant juices and the presence of the black, sooty mold growing on the honeydew can interfere with photosynthesis.
These little suckers can be tough to get rid of, but the following home remedy should do the trick!
You'll need:
Mix in 2 to 2 1/2 gallons of water.
Be careful not to make too many bubbles. Put the solution in a hose-end sprayer then wash plants down on a daily basis for 30 days. You need to concentrate on the underside of the leaves to get the eggs and larvae washed off.
The adults have waxy wings which chemicals can't penetrate. The vinegar and lemon oil slowly breaks down the waxy coating.
After the thirty day period, wash plants off with regular water to get the soap scum off then fertilize with a liquid or granular balanced (5-10-5) plant food.
