Subject: Re: [permaculture] White flies in the greenhouse
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:06:52 -0600
You want the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa to control your greenhouse
whiteflies. Get the wasps now before the summer flare up. Much easier to
control the whiteflies during cool temperatures, when they take as long
4 months to complete a life cycle, versus 2.5 weeks when it's hot.
That's why you see big population explosions in summer. EF comes on
little cards that you hang on your plants. They hatch and fly around
looking for whitefly larvae to parasitize. The wasps are so small you'll
likely never see them. This solution takes no spraying and is more
effective.
Scott, for mealybugs have you tried a douse or swab of alcohol directly
onto the critters? Cryptolaemus is the main biological control but I've
never tried them and they are expensive.
Paul
Re: [permaculture] White flies in the greenhouse,
Paul Cross, 03/27/2010