Gardenia With Bad White Fly Infestation
 

This poor plant really has it bad. We took it home from the nursery
about a month ago, and it was looked after by someone else who didn't
know what it was. She said she sprayed it with a mixture of detergent,
oil and water as I instructed her to. The whole plant in engulfed by
this. Should we take it outside? We have other plants about 10-16 feet
away from it. Can it spread to them? Any ideas how to treat it, if it's
even possible at this stage? All the leaves seem to have it along with
the webs in the branches. Thanks!

Do you have white flies or spider mites? The webs sound more like
spider mites than white flies.

White flies will be small white moth looking insects on the underside
of the leaves. Spider mites are almost undetectable by the human eye.

In either case I'd get it outside and give it a good hoseing down.
Soapy water should do the trick for either insect. If you don't isolate
the plant they will spread to other plants.

For white flies we have good results with Bayer Advanced Garden Rose &
Flower Insect Killer but now that weather is warm enough to move plants
outside would rather deal with them in safer ways.

Marv-Montezuma, IA
http://community.webshots.com/user/vmwood