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White Flies on Vegetables

White flies are similar in size to the common fruit fly, but they are not actually members of the fly family. Whiteflies have two pair of powdery, moth-like wings. White flies have a rapid reproduction cycle and cause significant damage to garden and potted plants. These insects thrive in tropical and subtropical regions and are becoming increasingly troublesome for large-scale agricultural farms. Economic losses from white fly infestations are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

White flies are also responsible for spreading vegetable diseases such as bean golden mosaic, bean dwarf mosaic, tomato yellow-leaf curl, tomato mottle and African cassava mosaic. It can be difficult for growers to retrace the course of a disease transmitted by white flies on vegetables and it is often necessary to employ a team of scientists to determine which plants may have been exposed. Additionally, white flies excrete honeydew, which has been known to ruin cotton crops.

Unfortunately, many species of white fly have become immune to commercially available pesticides and growers may need to explore other options such as sticky traps to combat an infestation. Pest control professionals can also assist in addressing white fly problems.

What Attracts Flies

Flies on Food