Thanks for the infor.
This was too die for, a must must must have.
Michael_Ronayne, the one time I had whitefly I used Bayer Tree and Shrub. And they were gone! I love it because it is not a spray but a systemic drench at roots that can be target used much easier than spray. So easy! I also use it for severe scale on my oleanders. I have had them literally covered in scale where you cannot see the bark and Bayer Tree and Shrub came to the rescue!
Also it lasts up to 1 year after just 1 application to the soil, PERFECT!
Oh and another way I have used it to kill cucumber beetles is to treat 2 or 3 flowering roses or bushes they particularly love. I know most will do a stop over on them for a good dinner at some point and then die. I love I only have to treat minimally in my yard instead of spraying everything hoping to get them.
Kell dahlin'
what do you have that isnt to die for?
The Bayer “Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer” appears to have eliminated my whitefly problem. I did find a few whiteflies on the Hibiscus mutabilis but found they were all dead. With the Hibiscus mutabilis no longer tasty, the whiteflies went after my Hibiscus aculeatus seedlings but a few quick sprays eliminated that problem. I am planning to use the Bayer “Tree & Shrub Insect Control” this spring on my entire outdoor Hibiscus collection. I am also planning to test Bayer “Tree & Shrub Insect Control” on the roots of my indoor potted Hibiscus once I use all the spray but given the current state of the whitefly population the remaining spray may last a long time.
With the whiteflies eliminated my two Hibiscus mutabilis Doubles resumed their rapid growth and are now over two feet tall plus the pot. To encourage branching I removed the tops of the leaders of both plans and will attempt to root the cuttings. The Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star is also going to need a haircut in a few weeks and that cutting will receive a lot of TLC. I am running out of space on my plant shelves and spring can’t come too soon. It is starting to look like I will have to add another pair of 2 foot florescent shop-lights soon! Next year remind me not to start my seedlings so early.
Mike
This message was edited Jan 19, 2010 9:57 AM
Quote from ardesia :
Mike, Once you get them clean, run out to your garden center and pick up some worm castings. Top dress those pots with a heavy layer and your white flies will leave for more hospitable plants at your neighbor's house. I use them on my outdoor H mutabilis and haven't had a problem in years. I also use them as a top dressing on my tropical hibs and on my gardenias which are also white fly magnets.
I wanted to let you know that I have not forgotten your advice about worm castings as a deterrent to whiteflies. In Zone 6, worm castings are a summer only item at garden centers, so if you believe you will need worm castings during the winter, you need to stock-up during the summer.
During 2010 and 2011 I continued the apply Bayer’s Imidacloprid to control whiteflies which was successful to a point but there was a catch. Bayer recommends using Imidacloprid in the spring when new leaves are forming but with Hibiscus mutabilis, and other hardy Hibiscus, new leaves are forming all the time so I had to keep reapplying Imidacloprid monthly to the roots to maintain the level of insecticide in the new leaves. This spring I was at a local garden center and saw they had worm casting for sale and purchase a bag, which I applied generously to my Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star and a Double, which have survived my Zone 6 winters for over three years now. It has been three weeks now and no sign of whiteflies but the summer is still young.
At HVH they identify the active ingredient in worm castings as “chitin degraders” which produce chitinase that will dissolve chitin in living insects. I will have to investigate these claims. There is quite a bit of research going on involving “chitin degraders” and their ability to dissolve the exoskeletons of insects.
HVH Worm Castings
http://www.hiddenvalleynaturearts.com/acatalog/wormcast.htm
I also found another report that worm castings don’t work but the worm castings were only applied once from the report.
Worm Castings vs. Argentine Ants
http://www.bonniewren.com/log.html
For now my Hibiscus mutabilis are thriving with the worm poop if for no other reason than it is an excellent fertilizer. There are a few small holes in older leaves but the new leaves are all hole free.
Mike
This message was edited Jul 11, 2012 10:00 AM