White flies

[Pat Hunt]

:cry: :cry: I have "millions" of little white gnats on my Ajuga ground cover. I assume they are white flies. I have released lady bugs...is there anything else I can do to get rid of them? The plants are looking wilted all the time but the soil is moist.

[Dirt Doctor]

That's just one of the reasons I don't recommend ajuga. Try some cornmeal. If that doesn't work, plant a better groundcover.

[Pat Hunt]

Thanks for your help.....

[Seedling]

I had those little white knats or flys around my tomatoe garden this year. Are they dangerous (diseases,ect) for humans and plants, and how can you get rid of them... Seems like everytime I sprayed the hose they would flock away...But be back within the hour.

[chuckfranke]

I have used neem oil and before that 'Ultrafine' parafinnic oil (Ok, Ok, a petroleum product - composted dinosaur) with fabulous results on whiteflies - the oil works two ways, disolving the exoskeleton so they dehydrate, shrivel and die or by coating their little fly-lungs in oil so they suffocate in gruesom fashion. Either way - the whiteflies are GONE. Just be sure to spray the underside of leaves as well to get the eggs.

I -think- ladybugs will consider them an all you can eat buffet as well... they are destructive little buggers!

[Di in Tx]

might be too late for this year, but something I have found effective is saving yellow caps or lids and coating with vasoline, if it is white flies they can't resist yellow, get stuck and die. Good luck next year!