The Landings & Bay Colony

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Are whiteflies feasting on your ficus and 
on your privacy?

Many of us in South Florida depend on our ficus hedge for privacy. Now this
winged ficus-eater is steadily feasting its way across Florida.

It is not only your ficus that are in danger. The ficus whitefly also attacks
banyan trees, Cuban laurel and many types of fig trees. A common sign of 
the pest is wilting yellow leaves followed by defoliation called "leaf drop".

These whiteflies feed primarily on the underside of the leaves with their "needle-like" mouth parts. Also found on
the underside of the leaves are eggs and nymphs.  

Whiteflies are active year round and have at least three generations per year so, populations can grow quickly.
Once hatched, crawlers wander around the leaf until they choose a feeding location. After becoming adults, they
can fly to other host trees and lay their eggs. 

Controlling these pests is not easy and the best results happen when the infestation is caught early. Treating
whitefly depends on the time of year, the tree size and the number of trees. The most commonly recom-
mended solution is a combination of "drenching," which means dousing the roots, paired with leaf spraying and
possibly a granular systemic. The drenching allows the chemicals to pass through the ficus systemically,
reaching every leaf. The spraying will immediately take care of active adults and give the ficus some relief.
Once the infestation is gone, treating every three to six months with a granular pesticide or with a soil drench
will keep your ficus free of whitefly.

For more information on whitefly and other
pests call 954.564.0037 or visit 
www.HughTurnerPestControl.com

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