On 3 May 2004 10:22:25 -0700 in
,
(S.V.Proff) graced the world with this thought:

I noticed that my kumquat tree has a bunch of small white insects on
it. They fly when I pass by or shake the branches. So far the tree
looks healthy.

Should I worry?

If it matters, I am in Santa Clara California.

Sam
(My e-mail is spam-proofed, please post your responses here.)

whiteflies, a real pain in the ass because they fly away when you try
to get 'em. They will eat the foliage and multiply like rats. One of
the best ways I've found to get rid of them is to create as hostile an
environment as you can for them. Spray the crap out of them with
water.
A relatively good, if not terribly fast, way to get rid of them is to
paint a large flat disposable surface (like cardboard) yellow. When it
dries, wipe a thin coat of vegetable oil on it. Hang them in the tree
in various places. The whiteflies are attracted to yellow, and stick
to the oil. Then just wipe them off. Another interesting one, if you
can find it, is to spread shredded reflective material under the tree
as mulch. This confuses them--they don't know what's up and what's
down... and they just move on to your neighbors' trees. Works for
aphids, too.
I'd give OSH or Summer Winds a call, see what they may recommend.