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.)

In article ,
(S.V.Proff) wrote:

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.)

Sounds like white flies.

Kill 'em. They will spread.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

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.

On 3 May 2004 10:22:25 -0700, (S.V.Proff) wrote:

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.)


Sounds like white fly, which aren't good. Could be winged aphids too,
but they're not so easily stirred. You can try removing them with a
strong stream of water to dislodge them and hopefully water log them
and knock them off. However if this is an infestation, then that
would be something that has many approaches depending on your personal
feelings about pesticides. Safer insecticidal soap works on most soft
bodied insects, but catch some put them in a small bottle and take
them to your local county agricultural extension agency and the master
gardener program there. Or to a garden shop that is more than home
depot or lowes, an actual year round nursery where someone will know
something.. for identification and what they recommend to rid the
plant of them.

It's better for you and your tree for you to take the pest in for sure
identification than for all of us guessing at what you have. I'm in
Idaho, so I'd have no way of knowing what sort of pests you have in
your milder climate, but a lot more than here I'd imagine since they
don't get frozen each winter.

Let us know what it was!

Janice

On Tue, 04 May 2004 20:25:16 -0600 in
, Janice
graced the world with this
thought:

On 3 May 2004 10:22:25 -0700, (S.V.Proff) wrote:

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.)


Sounds like white fly, which aren't good. Could be winged aphids too,
but they're not so easily stirred. You can try removing them with a
strong stream of water to dislodge them and hopefully water log them
and knock them off. However if this is an infestation, then that
would be something that has many approaches depending on your personal
feelings about pesticides. Safer insecticidal soap works on most soft
bodied insects, but catch some put them in a small bottle and take
them to your local county agricultural extension agency and the master
gardener program there. Or to a garden shop that is more than home
depot or lowes, an actual year round nursery where someone will know
something.. for identification and what they recommend to rid the
plant of them.

It's better for you and your tree for you to take the pest in for sure
identification than for all of us guessing at what you have. I'm in
Idaho, so I'd have no way of knowing what sort of pests you have in
your milder climate, but a lot more than here I'd imagine since they
don't get frozen each winter.

Let us know what it was!

Janice
Believe me, Santa Clara=Whitefly city... I love Safers, but the damn
things fly away.
To me, when it comes to a pesticide, I prefer not to use anything, but
if you have a major infestation, and it's not only going to affect
you, but all your neighbors, you may as well either go ahead and use
pesticides and throw away the fruit (if you're of that mind), or cut
down/pull up the offending plant (I'd be hesitant with a tree)... if
thine eye offend thee... because the whiteflies are more or less going
to destroy your crop anyway if you don't get them under control.
Does Safers make a bulk container or one that can be hooked up to a
hose, do you know? I've never looked.

writes:

Believe me, Santa Clara=Whitefly city... I love Safers, but the damn
things fly away.
To me, when it comes to a pesticide, I prefer not to use anything, but
if you have a major infestation, and it's not only going to affect
you, but all your neighbors, you may as well either go ahead and use
pesticides and throw away the fruit (if you're of that mind), or cut
down/pull up the offending plant (I'd be hesitant with a tree)... if
thine eye offend thee... because the whiteflies are more or less going
to destroy your crop anyway if you don't get them under control.
Does Safers make a bulk container or one that can be hooked up to a
hose, do you know? I've never looked.

A couple of years ago, some came in on a fuschia basket. They spread very
quickly and very completely. Fortunately, I got rid of them. It may have
been the ladybugs I turned loose. Also, I leave some of the wasp nests
alone near the garden. Perhaps one or the other ate them. It could also
have been the birds which I encourage that could have gotten them.
Whoever/whatever it was, they were gone after a few weeks. I still thank
all that is good that they disappeared; I was very, very lucky!

Glenna

In article , (S.V.Proff) wrote:
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.

Whiteflies, almost certainly -- they make the underside of the leaves
look "dusty" too. You can beat them off with plain water but they'll
come back. Try insecticidal soap, or spray with a diluted mix of dish
soap (not lemon-flavoured) and a little canola oil.

Should I worry?

Yes, they can damage the leaves enough to stress the trees.

~REZ~

(Glenna Rose) wrote in message news:fc.003d094101c4914e3b9aca0061e397fc.1c4915b@ pmug.org...
writes:

Believe me, Santa Clara=Whitefly city... I love Safers, but the damn
things fly away.

But will they affect the kumkuat?


Sam


To me, when it comes to a pesticide, I prefer not to use anything, but
if you have a major infestation, and it's not only going to affect
you, but all your neighbors, you may as well either go ahead and use
pesticides and throw away the fruit (if you're of that mind), or cut
down/pull up the offending plant (I'd be hesitant with a tree)... if
thine eye offend thee... because the whiteflies are more or less going
to destroy your crop anyway if you don't get them under control.
Does Safers make a bulk container or one that can be hooked up to a
hose, do you know? I've never looked.

A couple of years ago, some came in on a fuschia basket. They spread very
quickly and very completely. Fortunately, I got rid of them. It may have
been the ladybugs I turned loose. Also, I leave some of the wasp nests
alone near the garden. Perhaps one or the other ate them. It could also
have been the birds which I encourage that could have gotten them.
Whoever/whatever it was, they were gone after a few weeks. I still thank
all that is good that they disappeared; I was very, very lucky!

Glenna