Yellow sticky traps are useful for detecting the presence of adult whiteflies and for estimating seasonal changes in their abundance and the timing of treatments. Damage Whiteflies can cause wilting, yellowing, and loss of leaves, or stunting. The honeydew excreted by the immatures collects dust and leads to sooty mold growth. Whiteflies are particularly common on poinsettia, hibiscus, petunia, chrysanthemum, begonia, fuchsia, pelargonia, primula, verbena, gerbera, marigold, and greenhouse cucumbers and tomatoes. A good sanitation and exclusion program can keep whiteflies out of a greenhouse, and a number of natural and released predators and parasitoids will keep the whitefly populations under control.
Sanitation Thoroughly clean the greenhouse.
Pull up and destroy infested plants. Inspect all new plant stocks before introduction into greenhouses. Physical Control Remove all weeds, especially chickweed, dandelion, sow thistle, and mallow. Use a vacuum to pick up the sluggish adults in the morning. Use yellow sticky traps to catch adults.