On 1/31/05 8:38 AM, in article ,
"Instep" wrote:

Can anyone help with whitefly eradication?

I have asked in the past, and was given a tip to soak nettles in a bucket
and spray with the liquid, but this has not worked.

I can use Provado on the flower plants, but not tomato plants etc. in the
greenhouse.

It is getting a bit desperate.
Ann


In general unwanted 'bugs' feed the predators...Should you have a hundred of
the White Fly (unwanted bug) you may only have 1 predator, Encarsia
Formosa-the parasitic wasp. Using chemicals (Provado) to kill the White Fly
will surely kill the one and only predator you may have and often, because
of their higher numbers, some of the White Fly will survive and you will
still have the problem.
Encarsia Formosa is a parasitic wasp that feeds on the White Fly. This
parasitic wasp is no giant! It is 0.6 mm long. It will lay an egg in the
larvae of the White Fly and another parasitic wasp will emerge victorious.
It will then go on to lay other eggs. It does take time but it will work in
the long run. But remember should there be no white fly there will be no
food for Encarsia Formosa. It goes in cycles...so, flipping our thinking a
little here, the White Fly is good because it feeds our friend, the Encarsia
Formosa-a dandy little parasitic wasp.
So now what do you do? You rely on the natural balance of nature...a few
White Fly and a few parasitic wasps....you remove the lower leaves (as
suggested in this thread), you use sticky traps (as suggested in this
thread) and you allow the parasitic wasp to do it's job.
I do have a question: Will those sticky traps trap our friend, the parasitic
wasp?
As usual there is no simple solution....but I think I would be patient and
leave it to nature first. She has had more experience.
Gary