Whitefly in a greenhouse on tomatoes: how to get rid of, methods of control

A small butterfly that can cause serious damage to vegetable crops, planted in the garden. You should know the basic principles of development and reproduction of these small insects so that the fight against whitefly in a greenhouse on tomatoes is successful.

This butterfly is capable of breeding, forming huge colonies. One female lays up to 250 eggs. The whitefly is dangerous for planted tomatoes, but apart from this, up to 300 different types of other crops are not immune from its invasion.

Characteristic of the whitefly

There are 2 types of such insects: indoor and greenhouse. The latter live in greenhouse conditions. They like moist and warm air. Primary infection occurs with planting material, or through already infected plants.

Small in size (up to 3 mm) whitefly, similar to garden aphids, but its wings have a white coating. She often settles as part of a large group on the reverse side of the leaves. There, she lays eggs, from which the larvae subsequently hatch. It is they who, digging into the plant and drinking juice from it, can cause serious harm, and subsequently lead to the death of the plant.

While the larvae have not yet turned into a cocoon, they can be removed with the help of insecticides. The dense shell reliably protects the larva during this period. In the future, when the time for hatching of adults begins and the time for the appearance of a new generation of insects again comes, the process of fighting them may fail.

After micro-destruction of the foliage, the juice of the plant is released to the surface, and together with the excrement of this insect, an excellent environment is formed for the development of a fungal infection. On the leaves of tomatoes, at first places of a silvery coating appear, but over time, soot fungi resembling dark spots form on them.

First signs of pest damage

To know how to treat plants from whiteflies, you should study the main signs that appear at the initial stage of plant damage by this insect:

• in the greenhouse you can see small insects flying by;
• when shaking a tomato bush, a cloud of fluttering little butterflies appears above it;
• on the underside of the leaves of the tomato, as well as on its other parts, almost transparent scaly segments are stuck;

• the appearance of dark spots on the plant is a clear sign of damage by sooty fungus, which is formed on the excrement of whiteflies;
• plants don't grow fast enough;
• twisted leaves appear on the stems of greenhouse tomatoes;
• tomato fruits become whitish, stop ripening.

When such features are found, it can be suspected that the plants are already affected by this pest. Immediately after this, get rid of the insect.

Methods of destruction

Beginner gardeners may not have encountered this phenomenon, and do not know how to get rid of these insects. Flying individuals are much easier to destroy than their larvae. In addition, adults themselves are not as dangerous as their newly hatched cubs.Therefore, the fight against the whitefly on tomatoes should begin at the moment the flying midges appear, but before the time when they lay eggs. To destroy these pests, we get rid of in several ways.

With chemicals

Infected plants are sprayed with insecticides, which can be purchased at gardening stores. Such agents act on tomato pests through plants, after the poison is absorbed into the stems and leaves of the bushes. Therefore, it is necessary to choose suitable preparations for the treatment of bushes.

During the formation of ovaries on tomatoes, soap-based products are used. This takes into account the degree of infestation by insects. Of these drugs are recognized as the best: Pegasus, Fosbecid, Aktara, Konfidor, Mospilan. How to deal with the whitefly on tomato seedlings with these remedies is indicated in the instructions.

Smoke destruction

The method of getting rid of whiteflies on tomatoes by fumigation is one of the most effective methods for greenhouse cultivation. It is enough to carry out such a procedure twice during the season, and the pest will not appear on tomato seedlings. After such a procedure, not only adults will die, but also the larvae and pupae of the whitefly.

Techniques of mechanical methods

With this method, the leaves should be treated with soapy water, and then washed off with clean water. In this way, you can get rid of the delayed larvae, freeing the surface of the foliage and allowing the plant to receive oxygen.

Special insect traps with adhesive properties can also help get rid of whiteflies in the greenhouse. They can be purchased at specialized stores or elsewhere. If desired, it is built independently. Lubricate cardboard with bright coloring with Vaseline.

For insects that have flocked to such a surface, the vaseline surface will be fatal. After filling with midges, you can erase this layer and re-lubricate it with Vaseline.

Before you get rid of the whitefly, prepare the bait of heated rosin, castor oil and honey. Then, apply it on a dense surface of a bright color and put it in a greenhouse along the aisles.

Biological method

This method is a great alternative to chemical pest control. At the same time, we fight with the help of special encarsia insects, which lay their larvae on the body of the whitefly. As it grows, the parasitic larva feeds on the juices from the body of the insect, thus gradually killing it.

Also, in the greenhouse, cardboard boxes with pupae placed in them are hung between the rows of tomatoes.

After the appearance of insects, they rush to the whitefly and eat their larvae located on the leaves of tomatoes.He knows how to deal with the whitefly, a common ladybug that eats both adults and larvae, as well as the macrolofus bug. For 1 sq. m. of greenhouse area with tomatoes, 5 of these bugs are enough. After 15 days, the introduction of new Markofolus specimens should be repeated.

Folk fighting techniques

These methods of struggle have the safest effect on the human body. But they have to be carried out in the greenhouse repeatedly to cope with the pest.

Cold air is detrimental to insects. Before you get rid of the whitefly in the greenhouse on tomatoes, if possible, the seedlings are taken out for some time in the open air. The whitefly cannot stand the smell of garlic. Therefore, a tincture is prepared from it, it is enough to add 2 chopped cloves of garlic to 2 liters of boiling water, and then spray the tomato bushes with it.

Some people use laundry soap to keep moths from breeding. Soap after grinding on a grater is dissolved in hot water, at the rate of 1 part of soap per 6 parts of liquid. Then, the planted vegetables are sprayed. Yarrow infusion will help to cope with the whitefly. To do this, 10 g of dried grass is brewed in 1.5 liters of boiling water. Then the tomatoes are sprayed. It is advisable to lift the branches so that the solution falls on their underside.

You can treat tomatoes with a pharmaceutical remedy for scabies. It is bred in water and sprayed on plants.

Prevention measures

If you take measures to prevent the appearance of whiteflies on tomatoes, then you may not need other ways to cope with the invasion of insects. Metal structures should be painted in advance. The land must be carefully cleaned and freed from last year's vegetation.

Purchased tomato seedlings are carefully checked for the possibility of insect infestation. After disembarkation, a mandatory procedure for ventilating the greenhouse should be provided, and the temperature inside the greenhouse should not exceed +15 degrees.

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