Topic: Whitefly on my sprouts!

[Suzanne]

I took my enviromesh covers off my brussels and brassicas in August as they were bursting out and also the wet weather was starting to encourage mildew. Went up to the lottie last night and they are inundated with whitefly and white aphids which are causing a real mess. I grow organically so don't really spray with anything, although I am tempted to use a soapy or other organic okay spray at the moment.

But before I unleash hell (fan of Gladiator) will the whitefly do serious damage (it is a heavy infestation), will the whitefly do any lasting damage??
 :-\

[tim]

Ours a just a nuisance at the moment - messing up the Brussels leaves (most importantly the tops, which you eat) & filling the kitchen if we forget to shake them off first. Not too worried about the Cabbages.

Will probably use fatty acids soon, but it's so difficult to hit all the undersides of leaves. Or I may try the sticky trap ploy, like with flea beetles.

[redimp]

Valmarg suggested one of those portable car vacuum cleaners last year.  I haven't got whitefly yet but when I do, I am going to give that a go.

[SnooziSuzi]

I have this problem too, and there's too many to squish and the adults just fly around anyway  >:(

I bought some encarsia? to get rid of them, but realised that this wouldn't probably do much good as they were to be used for greenhouse whitefly, yet mine on on my sprouts. 

I hung the little cards around the sprouts but it doesn't seem to have made a difference, so maybe the g/h variety is different to the external variety...

I may try the thing with the vacuum tho!  ;D

[Suzanne]

The vacuum thing sounds like fun - so I think I will have a go with a dustbuster. Thanks
Suzanne

[tim]

Predators need to be contained - ie indoors.

[The Amateurs]

We have the same problem, I seem to remember seeing on a TV programme that if you soak rhubarb leaves for a few days in water then spray that over the plants it should clear the fly. 

Has anybody else heard of this or tried it before ?

[star]

Yes apparantly this does work, also garlic boiled up and the resulting liquid also is said to deter pests

[Robert_Brenchley]

Nettle tea will do it as well. Rhubarb is pretty strong, as it contains oxalic acid.

[Laurdan]

I too have discovered white fly on my sprouts.  So how do I make the neetle tea or how long do I boil the garlic for??

Is it a whole garlic or just a few cloves??

[calendula]

one clove squashed and mixed with water and sprayed should do it - it makes a useful greenhouse spray as well but makes you hungry cos of the aroma  ;D

[Laurdan]

Thanks, I shall crush the clove of garlic then tomorrow and spray .  What damage does the whitefly make if left?

[SnooziSuzi]

I've just sprayed with a weak soapy solution to combat the whitefly and mealy aphids that are currently enjoying my sprouts!! 

I think it will work nicely, as when the spray hit the whitefly they were immediately immobilised, including the one's that were flying around - they flew for a second and then started plumiting to the ground!

A job well done I think!  ;D

Let us know how you get on with the garlic spray too - I may also try this one!

[telboy]

Laurdan,
Not a lot of damage if left. Mealy bugs do suck a lot of life out of brassicas so worth treating!

[Suzanne]

Well thought I would give you an update. I don't have a dustbuster so tried to borrow OH's from the car cleaning kit..he wasn't keen. So I gave the sprouts a good shake on a windy day and tons of the little blighters took wing. I then gave a bit a of a tidy -  wiped mealy bugs off with a cloth dipped in water. Apart for the obvious comments from fellow plot holders regarding my "polishing the sprouts" this seems to have worked. It hasn't eradicated them but got rid of the worst.

Had my first sprouts for dinner today after the frost has got at them and they were delish.

[cornykev]

We've had whitefly for months on our lottie, on my cabbages and next plots sprouts, old sid on the next plot says they cause no harm, but they just seem to be everywhere, even when I pull up a weed they come out of the ground. Someone said they used a sheet of cardboard with grease on it and held it above the plant and shook the plant and the whitefly stick to the grease. ??? ??? :-\ ?     ;D ;D ;D

[telboy]

corny,
Why not? Good try! The buggers come back anyway.
 >:(