Topic: Whitefly

[jollyroger123]

Hi

All again

I bought a honeysuckle from a garden centre recently and placed it in the greenhouse whilst i found a place in the garden for it - it was quite late when i returned home.

The next day on closer inspection there was small white round things on it.  They didn't move or anything and brushed off easily. 

I am worried that i may have introduced whitefly into my greenhouse.

Do whitefly move

Thanks learning all the time.

[quizzical1]

Not sure from your description if they were whitefly, but just in case, I would hang a couple of those yellow sticky fly traps in your greenhouse.
The picture I have of a whitefly shows them as being sort of triangular in shape, but they are tiny, and I think they would tend to be on the underside of the leaves.

[valmarg]

Oh dear jr, you have disobeyed one of the basics regarding new plants you have bought from a nursery/garden centre.  When you get them home, keep them in conditions they enjoy, but isolated fom your main greenhouse.

I have to admit, I learned this the hard way, having been to a fuchsia nursery and bought several plants, took them straight into the greenhouse, and within a few days the little white b***ers were flying all over the place.

I agree with quizzical that, from your description, they do not sound like whitefly.

If you've got a whitefly infection, when you brush the leaves of the plants they fly up in a bit of a cloud.

Hope what you have 'acquired' is nothing serious, but like me, you'll know what to do next time!!

valmarg

[Tee Gee]

They might have been sprayed with something that may have left a white powdery residue.....................just a thought ::)

[jollyroger123]

Not sure,

To be honest they dont look like living or indeed previously living things.  Just fall off the plant when disturbed.  Nothing flying about in the greenhouse.

The white almost fluffy looking lumps are about 3mm

[valmarg]

The 'white almost fluffly looking lumps' sounds more like like mealy bug.  The old remedy used to be to get a piece of cotton wool soaked in methylated spirits and wipe the bugs off the plant.  This may no longer be EU approved, but it did work.

I think I would also go back to the garden centre to complain, simply to let them know.  I don't think they would intentionally sell infected plants.

[valmarg]

In my previous post, for mealy bug, read woolly aphid.

[jollyroger123]

Hi

Thanks for the advice - Didn't get round to taking a pic.  had a closer look at the plant today and all the leaves where these creaures reside were curled round to provide a nice cosy home.  Think the plant had everything.  White things, Black Things and greenfly thingys with no wings and long legs like they were on stilts.  Anyhoo pruned the honeysuckle right back to the clean leaves - Im sure its a young plant and hope it will spring back.

No sign of any unwanted creatures in the greenhouse - except ants must find a way of keeping them out this year.

Thanks again

[Tee Gee]

Do they look anything like this;



If so it is 'mealybug'