How to get rid of whitefly on tomatoes and cucumbers in a greenhouse

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

In greenhouses, tomatoes and cucumbers can be damaged by various pests, but the whitefly is considered the most dangerous insect. This insect is small in size, but at the same time it is capable of destroying all seedlings. In order to prevent this, the summer resident must all the time inspect the state of the foliage of the plants, and when the first signs of damage by the pest appear, immediately begin the fight against the whitefly. It is worth talking about how to get rid of whitefly in a greenhouse on cucumbers and tomatoes so as not to harm the plants.

Signs of plant damage

There are several signs that can indicate the development of a whitefly in a greenhouse. It is quite difficult to find the insect larvae themselves, so gardeners usually pay attention to plants that have already suffered from the larvae. In this case, you will notice:

1. Twisted leaves begin to appear on the stems of the seedlings. On the back of them, whitefly caterpillars are usually found. Their cocoons may also remain.
2. Affected plants have a sickly appearance, while they begin to noticeably lag behind in development.
3. If a whitefly infects an adult plant, then the ovaries on it cannot fully fill, which prevents their maturation. In some cases, a dark bloom forms on the ovaries.
4. If the first signs of damage to the plant were not detected in time, then the whitefly begins to multiply, and insects can be seen if the plants are slightly shaken.
5. Gradually, dark spots begin to appear on the leaves of the culture, this is due to the fact that the fungus began to develop on the plant.

If at least one sign of the appearance of a pest in the greenhouse was found, he should immediately begin to destroy the whitefly, otherwise the insect will destroy the future crop. It is worth noting that one female can hatch more than two hundred eggs.

Mechanical pest removal

This method can be classified as the safest and most environmentally friendly, but it is not always effective.

Mechanical removal can only be used if insects have just begun to appear on the plants. To remove whitefly larvae and insect eggs, you can use a regular water rinse with a hose. When the water treatment is completed, the summer resident must inspect each plant for the presence of larvae and eggs from all sides. Next, each sheet is wiped with a solution that is prepared from laundry soap.

If too many insects have appeared in the greenhouse, then the summer resident can use a vacuum cleaner to remove them mechanically. But it is worth noting that this option helps to remove only the main part of the insects. This method will not give an opportunity to completely get rid of the whitefly.

Biological methods

For summer residents who are looking for an answer to the question of how to get rid of a whitefly in a greenhouse on cucumbers and tomatoes, you should pay attention to biological methods of destroying the pest. For example, ladybugs can kill a whitefly without harming the crop. Additional methods include:

1. Garlic infusion … A head of garlic is taken and crushed well, after which it is poured with half a liter of water. The remedy is insisted for at least a week, after which it is used 5 grams per liter of clean water. Greenhouse plants are sprayed with the solution.
2. Dandelion infusion … About 40 grams of dandelion root is taken, and the same amount of plant leaves, the components are crushed, and then poured with a liter of water. Insist, the solution is 5 days, and then the product is filtered and used to spray the plant. After two weeks, the treatment should be repeated.

Chemical methods

Now it's worth talking about how to get rid of whitefly in a greenhouse on cucumbers and tomatoes using chemicals. Such preparations should be used when growing a large number of tomatoes and cucumbers in a greenhouse.

The best whitefly remedies:

1. Aktara a well-known agent that is used to destroy a pest in a greenhouse. Aktara helps protect plants from insects, while maintaining its effect for a month. The drug affects not only the insects themselves, but also their larvae. You can water the plant at the root, or spray the crop.
2. Akarin … You can treat plants with such a tool just once to reduce the number of pests, or completely destroy them.

Means called Admiral and Iskra are no less effective.

All of these chemicals are used for spraying vegetables, they are not harmful to plants when used correctly. Do not violate the dosage, otherwise the chemicals will penetrate into the fruits of the plants.