Potential White Flies on my Hibiscus plant - Ask Extension
Every year my Hibiscus plant gets a terrible white fly infestation. Could I ward off an infestation before I see any white flies with Neem Oil or a S...
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Potential White Flies on my Hibiscus plant #834017
Asked June 06, 2023, 7:03 AM EDT
Every year my Hibiscus plant gets a terrible white fly infestation. Could I ward off an infestation before I see any white flies with Neem Oil or a Safer soap application now or does this just work once you see them? Thanks for your time in answering my question.
Prince George's County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello and thank you for your question.
Unfortunately you cannot pre-treat with a contact insecticide, as they must make physical contact with the pest in order to work. Contact insecticides can only be used once the pests appear.
Before pesticides are used, it is possible to drive whiteflies away by forceful water sprays. You can also slow down an invasion by removing and disposing of the individual leaves that the whiteflies are feeding on. However, once the infestation is established, more effective measures are called for. Since it sounds like you have an (annual) established infestation, these methods might not be a viable option.
For a severe infestation, a contact insecticide once pests appear is an option. A systemic insecticide, usually a liquid or granular product that is applied over the root zone and absorbed into the plant where it remains in the sap for months, would be an options also. Whenever a whitefly or other sap-sucking insect feeds on the plant it is killed by the pesticide in plant. It is the only preventative measure you can take, and is a last-resort type pesticide as it can make all parts of the plant toxic, including the pollen and nectar. If you have this hibiscus outside, we do not recommend this prior to flowering as it can be harmful to pollinators.
Please let us know if you have further questions, I hope this was helpful!
Unfortunately you cannot pre-treat with a contact insecticide, as they must make physical contact with the pest in order to work. Contact insecticides can only be used once the pests appear.
Before pesticides are used, it is possible to drive whiteflies away by forceful water sprays. You can also slow down an invasion by removing and disposing of the individual leaves that the whiteflies are feeding on. However, once the infestation is established, more effective measures are called for. Since it sounds like you have an (annual) established infestation, these methods might not be a viable option.
For a severe infestation, a contact insecticide once pests appear is an option. A systemic insecticide, usually a liquid or granular product that is applied over the root zone and absorbed into the plant where it remains in the sap for months, would be an options also. Whenever a whitefly or other sap-sucking insect feeds on the plant it is killed by the pesticide in plant. It is the only preventative measure you can take, and is a last-resort type pesticide as it can make all parts of the plant toxic, including the pollen and nectar. If you have this hibiscus outside, we do not recommend this prior to flowering as it can be harmful to pollinators.
Please let us know if you have further questions, I hope this was helpful!
