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How to get rid of white flies with biological pest control?

As PLNTSparents we experience lots of changes in our plants. They change throughout the seasons, from growing rapidly, to making time to recover and let go. Mostly we experience these beautiful shifts and get excited from getting new growth and seeing our green friends flourish. Sometimes we have to overcome some bumps in the road, which mostly has to do with pests that would like to take a juicy bite out of your green friends. There are all kind of pests, in which we all have solutions for to fight them off. In this blog we will dive into which biliogical pest control can help you get rid of white flies.

How do white flies damage my plants?

These small white insects with powdered wings spread their eggs and larvae quickly over your plants, They enter your urban jungle through drafts, air currents or even by cross-contamination. You might have carried them in unseen on your clothing, that is how easy they find their way in. Once they have entered you house, they start looking for lush foliage, where they suck out hte plant’s sap. This leaves marks on the leves. Not only do they eat the plant’s sap, but also release toxins that makes the plant sick. Larvae eat lots of sap, to become bigger and stronger. Due to the high density of sugar in the plant’s sap, they have to release this which is in the form of honeydew. This is a sticky substance that funghi are especially fond of. This creates the perfect breeding spot for them, soon you plant will not only be infested with white flies, but also with all kinds of funghi. Eventually your plant will die from this.

whitefly close up

Mosi

Mosi is here to save the day! Mosi exist of 2 different parasitic wasps, that are particularity good in finding white fly larvae. Once they have located them, they will lay their eggs in the larvae, which causes them to die. After a month new parasitic wasps will emerge from the deceased white fly. Not only do they lay their eggs in the larvae, but also eat them when they feel hungry. This makes them very effective to solve your infestation. You don;t have to worry about these wasps yourself, since they are super small and won’t sting you.

One wasps lives for about 10 days, in which it can exterminate about 80 white fly larvaes. The other species has a life cycle of 12 days and can get rid of about 200 white flies in that time. After 30 days the new parasitic waps emerge from the white fly larvaes, in which they start with taking care of the problem all over again.

Mosi close up

How to use?

You will receive 5 cards, which contains about 300 parasitic waps in total. This is enough to treat about 15 houseplants. The cards can be hung in the plant, near the infested area. Make sure the spots are sheltered and that no direct sunlight can reach the spot. Once you have hung the cards, the parasitic waps will go to work.

Mosi how to use

Preservability

Once you received Mosi, it’s best to hang up the cards immediately. If you want to wait, you can keep them safe for 1 to 2 days, in a dry cool spot that ranges between 10-15 °C. Make sure to handle the cards with care, you wouldn’t want to accidentally harm the heroes that are here to solve your problem.

Last but not least!

Mosi is most effective in a cosy temperature, that is why you should try to keep the temperature above 15 degrees at all times. On-time application does not ensure that you will completely get rid of the plague. You might have to repeat the treatment, expecially with very heavy plagues.

And that is how you can get rid of a white fly infestation! Hopefully this blog was helpful and lends you the helping hand that you need to deal with your pest. We have biological pest control for all kinds of pests, and the fitting informatical blogs to go with it. You might want to take a look at our other blog, where we have more tips and all the links listed, so you can become a fully knowledgeable about getting rid of pests. See you in our next blog, bye!

Carlijn
Carlijn

Carlijn is probably one of the biggest plant geeks ever. She is always on the lookout for new gems and loves to share all her plant knowledge, tips and inspiration with our community!

March 19, 2024