The insects can be green, white, pink or black. Whitefly is named for the adult, a small, white fly. The immature whitefly is a small, almost translucent scale-like insect. This insect is hard to control. Use a house plant spray specially formulated for whitefly.
Scales are usually brown, hard shells attached to the stems or undersides of the leaves.
Sprays are not effective since the shell protects the insects. Heavily infested plants should be discarded. Physically removing the scales and then controlling immature stages with sprays may control the problem on lightly infested plants. This information is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.