Using Organics For Pest Control
Below is comment from one of readers on specific problem, using organic natural products for organic gardening pest control. Can anyone help here? Thanks.
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your advise on the ivory soap, it did help the Sweet Basil. Do you know if i can do it the same to take care of white flies? I don’t know if that is what it is but i have on my tomatoe plant and getting on other plants that have small white bugs that look like small as a flea and it flies. They are under the leaves and if i shake the plant they start flying. They are on my lantana plant and i think they are getting on my other plants. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Jo Ann
Reader Comments
Hi Jo Ann, if it is white fly, it’s the larvae not the adult white fly that is doing the damage. White flies have a lot of natural predators including hummingbirds. So, putting up a hummingbird feeder can help. The insecticidal soap remedy that Bob gave you can help, too. You have to spray all surfaces of the plant. Of course, that needs to be repeated after a rain. I just read about another interesting trick. White flies are reputed to be attracted to yellow. So, get a yellow paper plate and smear it with some vaseline. Attach it a little distance from the plants they are currently bothering. You can also buy those sticky tapes for bugs at Lowes/Home Depot.
Hope that helps. Kathryn