Whitefly Control

How to Get Rid of Whiteflies Naturally

Whitefly control starts with understanding how these tiny, flying, sap-sucking insects spread and damage plants. The most effective whitefly management strategies use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. IPM uses cultural methods, physical barriers, biological controls, and targeted treatments as necessary.

White flies on your plants can multiply fast, damaging leaves and spreading plant viruses before most gardeners realize there's a problem. NaturesGoodGuys offers natural whitefly treatment solutions, from beneficial insects, to traps for monitoring, to organic sprays. Our wide spectrum of options help you treat and prevent whitefly infestations in gardens, greenhouses, grow tents, nurseries, orchards, and on indoor plants.

What Are Whiteflies?

Whiteflies are tiny, soft-bodied insects covered in a powdery white wax coating. Despite their name, whiteflies are not true flies. They belong to the order of Hemiptera, making them close relatives to aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects. If you notice a cloud of tiny white bugs flies up when you touch your plants, or you see white winged bugs on the underside of leaves, whiteflies are most likely the culprit.

These pests can quickly become a problems because they feed on plant sap, which weakens your plants health. Like aphids and mealybugs, whiteflies produce honeydew, which leads to black sooty mold and attracts ants.

Beyond physical damage, some whitefly species, especially the silverleaf whitefly, are capable of transmitting over 100 plant viruses. Whiteflies can spread viruses like tomato yellow leaf curl, which makes them devastating in gardens and crop fields. Whiteflies thrive in warm, humid conditions and are most active during late spring and summer.

Common Whitefly Species

Over 1,500 species of whitefly exist worldwide, but only a handful are harmful pests to gardeners. Knowing your species helps you chooose the right predator:

Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum): One of the most common whitefly species in North America. Adults hold their wings flat and parallel to the leaf surface. Best controlled with Encarsia formosa.
Silverleaf / Sweet Potato Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci / Bemisia argentifolii): A highly damaging species that is more heat-tolerant than greenhouse whitefly. Adults hold their wings in a tent-like, roof-shaped position. Best controlled with Encarsia formosa and/or Eretmocerus eremicus.
Bandedwing Whitefly (Trialeurodes abutilonea): Common on poinsettias, geraniums, and petunias. Identified by banded patterns on the wings. Controlled by Delphastus Catalinae.
Citrus Whitefly (Dialeurodes citri): Attacks citrus trees, gardenias, and lilacs. Controlled by Eretmocerus eremicus.
Woolly Whitefly (Aleurothrixus floccosus): Infests citrus. Identified by the white, cottony wax on nymphs. Controlled by Delphastus catalinae and Eretmocerus eremicus.
Giant Whitefly (Aleurodicus dugesii): Feeds on tropical ornamentals. Leaves white waxy spiral egg depositis on leaf undersides.

Signs of a Whitefly Infestation

Knowing what to look for, and where to look, will help you identify whitefly infestations. Whiteflies live almost exclusively on the underside of leaves. Adults are 2-3mm in size with a yellow body and four white, waxy wings. Nymphs (immature whitefly) are flat, oval, and nearly transparent, resembling tiny scale insects.

Common signs of a whitefly infestation include:

A cloud of tiny white flying insects when plants are disturbed
White, moth-like insects clustered on the underside of leaves
Tiny white or pale-yellow eggs in circular clusters on the underside of leaves
Sticky honeydew
Black sooty mold
Yellow, speckled, or silvering leaves
Wilting, stunted, or distorted new growth

Common Outdoor Plants Whiteflies Infest

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers
Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale (brassicas)
Citrus, grapes, avocados, strawberries, beans, potaotes
Hibiscus, roses, petunias, geraniums, begonias
Poinsettia (greenhouse & nursery crops)
Fuchsia, azalea

Common Indoor Plants Whiteflies Infest

Poinsettias, coleus, fuchsia
Tomatoes (greenhouse & grow tent crops)
Hibiscus, lantana
Cucumbers, peppers (greenhouse)
Most soft-leaved ornamental houseplants

Whitefly Life Cycle

At warm temperatures (80–90°F), white flies can complete its entire lifecycle in 16–18 days. The whitefly life cycle includes four stages: Egg, Crawler, Nymphs, and Adult.

Eggs: Adult whiteflies lay up to 200-400 pale-yellow eggs in their lifetime. Eggs darken when close to hatching.
Crawlers (1st instar nymphs): The only mobile nymphal stage. Newly hatched crawlers have legs and and antennae and briefly crawl before settling to feed. This is a highly susceptible stage for control.
Nymphs (2nd–4th instars): After the first molt, nymphs lose their legs and antennae and fix themselves to the leaf surface to feed. The 3rd and 4th instars (called "red-eye nymphs" in silverleaf whitefly) are the most visible and the easiest to identify.
Adults: White-winged adults emerge from the pupal stage and begin feeding and reproducing. A single unmated female can a-sexually reproduce males.

Why One Predator Isn't Enough

Most contact sprays only affect crawlers and adults, leaving the eggs and settled nymphals to reproduce. Certain beneficial insects target specific nymphal stages.

Whiteflies & Ants: A Hidden Partnership

Ants often "farm" whiteflies for their honeydew and will protect them from predators. Ants will protect whitefly colonies from natural predators. If you notice ants on your plants, address the ant activity before releasing beneficial insects.

Cultural Strategies

Cultural control methods focus on creating a growing environment that supports healthy plants and makes it harder for pests to thrive. Practices like improving soil health, rotating crops, adding mulch, and companion planting all play a role. Together, these steps create conditions that help reduce and manage whitefly problems naturally.

Physical / Mechanical Control

Mechanical control methods rely on barriers, tools, and hands-on techniques to block, monitor, or reduce whitefly populations. We offer a variety of natural solutions to help prevent and manage whitefly, including:

Yellow Sticky Traps for early detection and monitoring of infestations.
Beneficial Insect Netting to keep beneficial insects while keeping out harmful ones.
Diatomaceous Earth to create unfavorable conditions for soft-bodied pest insects.

Biological Control of Whiteflies

Chemical treatments do not affect certain life stages of whitefly. Because of this, its hard to control an infestation using chemical treatments. Beneficial insects are one of the most powerful and sustainable tools in whitefly management. Biological control is key in any organic or IPM-based management program.

General Predators

Insects like green lacewings, ladybugs and Orius target their prey by eating aphids whole or extracting body fluids.

Ladybugs are one of the most popular beneficial insects for aphid control.
Green Lacewing Larvae, known as "aphid lions," are highly effective natural control for aphids.
Orius insidiosus (Minute Pirate Bug) targets all life stages of thrips, mites, moth eggs, aphids, and more.

Parasitic Wasps for Whiteflies

Parasitic wasps are the most effective natural predators for whiteflies. They lay their eggs inside or under whitefly nymphs, where chemicals can't reach. The developing parasitoid larvae feed on the host nymph.

Encarsia formosa whitefly control is the most widely used and cost-effective for greenhouse whitefly, silverleaf whitefly, & more. First choice for preventative and light whitefly control.
Eretmocerus eremicus is a highly effective parasitic wasp that compliments Encarsia in targeting silverleaf whitefly, sweet potato whitefly, poinsettia whitefly, & more. Unlike Encarsia, Eretmoocerus also acts as a predator by direct feeding on the host.

Targeted Whitefly Predator - Delphastus

Delphastus catalinae for whitefly control is highly effective. This small, black beetle has a voracious appetite for whitefly. Unlike parasitic wasps that take days to kill a host, Delphastus actively hunt all life stages of whitefly. Delphastus can consume large numbers of whitefly per day, making it powerful for knockdown of heavier infestations.

For complete control, Delphastus is best released alongside Encarsia and Eretmocerus. This trio work well together as the wasps parasitize nymphs while Delphastus rapidly reduces overall population.

Predatory Mite for Whitefly Control - A. swirskii

Amblyseius swirskii is a generalis predatory mite that feeds on whitefly eggs and first instar nymphs (crawlers). It also feeds on thrips larvae, broad mites, spider mites pollen, and more. Because it feeds on pollen as well as pest insects, it can persist on plants even when pest numbers are low, providing ongoing preventative control.

When to Release Beneficial Insects

Release beneficial insects early in the growing season or as soon as you spot the first whitefly on your plants. Be sure to control any ant activity before releasing. Introducing predators early helps them establish quickly and suppress whiteflies before serious plant damage occurs.

Soft Chemical Control

Light infestations can usually be controlled with careful monitoring and early releases of beneficial insects. For moderate infestations, combine beneficial insects with targeted spot treatments for better control. Severe infestations often require a soft chemical knockdown first, followed by beneficial insect releases to prevent reinfestation.

We offer gentle treatment options, including:

Neem oil – Disrupts mealybug feeding and growth.
Horticultural oils – Suffocate exposed mealybugs and their eggs on contact.
Insecticidal soap – Penetrates the mealybug’s waxy coating, causing dehydration.