Today, we’ll be discussing a new kind of pest. The Tampa Whitefly. Until recently, I hadn’t had the displeasure of meeting this pest. But, it’s recently made itself known to me. That’s why today we’ll discuss them, and what you can do about them.
Tampa Whitefly: What Are They?
To start with, we’ll work on identifying this pest.
Adults (1/16 inch long) are moth-like insects with powdery white wings and short antenna. They are easily recognized and often found near the tops of plants or on stem ends. Wingless nymphs are flattened, oval and almost scale-like in appearance. After the first instar or crawler stage, they settle down and attach themselves to the underside of leaves and begin feeding.
Common on indoor plants, tomatoes and in greenhouses, the whitefly is a sap-sucking insect that is often found in thick crowds on the undersides of leaves. When infested plants are disturbed, great clouds of the winged adults fly into the air. Both nymphs and adults damage plants by sucking the juices from new growth causing stunted growth, leaf yellowing, and reduced yields. Plants become weak and susceptible to disease. Like aphids, whiteflies secrete honeydew, so leaves maybe sticky or covered with black sooty mold. They are also responsible for transmitting several plant viruses.
In southern and coastal states, the Tampa whitefly is found year-round in outdoor gardens. In northern areas, year-round infestations are possible only indoors. Host plants include more than 250 ornamental and vegetable plants. Citrus, squash, poinsettia, potato, cucumber, grape, tomato and hibiscus are commonly infested.
What Can You Do?
Honestly, there’s not much that can be done by an untrained layman. If you have an issue with whiteflies, you probably want to contact a trained professional. And if you do, stick to one that uses natural methods of pest control, as they’re proven to be safer than chemical methods.