Organic treatment
- Vacuum adults in the early morning when they are sluggish and slow to fly.
- Spray horticultural oil or insecticidal soap on leaf undersides weekly for a month.
- Hang yellow sticky traps near affected plants to catch adults.
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Sap-sucker
Whiteflies
Tiny white moth-like insects that flutter up in a cloud when the plant is brushed.
Severity
Identification
Adults are small, moth-like, and pure white — brushing the foliage sends up a visible cloud. Nymphs are flat, translucent ovals fixed to leaf undersides, feeding steadily and excreting honeydew.
Life cycle & spread
Eggs are laid on leaf undersides and hatch into crawling nymphs that soon settle in place to feed. A full life cycle runs 3–4 weeks, and overlapping generations make single treatments ineffective.
Chemical treatment
- Use a systemic insecticide to reach nymphs that contact sprays miss.
- Repeat treatments on a 7-day cycle to catch newly hatched generations.
Prevention
- Inspect leaf undersides on any new plant before it joins your collection.
- Avoid crowding plants — whiteflies spread quickly between touching foliage.
- Keep an eye on outdoor patio plants in late summer, their peak season.
Commonly affects