Whitefly

Overview

Whitefly cause sap loss and honeydew; control often relies on parasitoids and steady monitoring.

Symptoms

• Adults fly up when disturbed
• Honeydew / sooty mould
• Slow plant decline

Conditions that increase risk

• Warm, still conditions
• Dense canopies

Biological control options

• Encarsia formosa
• Eretmocerus eremicus
• Amblyseius swirskii (suppression)

IPM notes

• Monitoring & thresholds
• Biological Control Top-Ups

Preventative predator support

• Amblyseius swirskii (warm conditions)
• Amblyseius montdorensis (often stronger under cooler conditions)

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Further guidance

• Whitefly — Biocontrol Foundations

Key natural enemies

• Encarsia formosa
• Eretmocerus eremicus
• Macrolophus pygmaeus

Environmental drivers

• Favoured by warm, protected conditions; repeated generations occur in greenhouse crops.
• Dense canopies support faster build-up and make coverage/monitoring harder.
• Control is easier when addressed early at low density.