Greenhouse Whitefly

The greenhouse whitefly is a tiny, white, sucking pest found primarily under cover. Adults take flight when the plant is disturbed, while immobile nymphs feed on the undersides of leaves. Heavy infestations cause yellowing and weakening of plants, as well as the secretion of sticky honeydew, on which sooty mold fungi can grow. Monitoring involves regular visual inspections of the undersides of leaves and the use of yellow sticky traps; detection of the first outbreaks requires a rapid response. New seedlings should be inspected before being brought under cover, and upon detection of the pest, infested plants should be isolated, and a control method should be selected based on the pest’s life stage and the current product label.