South Florida Against Ficus Whiteflies

Spring is coming and with it will come the arrival of all those enemies of herb, leaf and blossom, insect pests. Looks like another year of having to round up the usual suspects that love to munch through our gardens and landscapes. Our first subject is the ficus whitefly. 

This plant predator was first reported in Homestead, FL in 2007 and it has since made quite an infamous name for itself. It managed to make its' destructive way all the way across the continental United States in the span of in just five years, appearing on the west coast in California in 2012. Just as quickly the ficus whitefly established itself as a spreading pest that was rapidly affecting the health and aesthetics of valuable ficus trees and hedges. Whiteflies greedily feed on the underside of leaves with their piercing mouthparts. This causes wilting, yellowing, leaf drop, and eventually the death of the ficus plant.

The rapid life cycle of the ficus whitefly compounds its' ability to damage plants. Ficus whiteflies have at least three generations per year. Their eggs hatch and crawlers wander around the leaf until they find a feeding spot. When they attach the crawlers become immobile, feeding in the same spot until they reach adulthood. This cycle takes approximately 30 days to complete from start to finish. After becoming adults, they can fly to other ficus and lay their eggs. With up to three breeding cycles completed per year, populations can grow quickly and plant damage likewise accelerates.

These increasingly common pests can easily be identified. The Adult flies (about 1.4-1.6 mm) have white wings with faint grayish-brown markings. Their eyes are dark red. They are usually quite active and fly readily when disturbed. In the nymph stage ficus whiteflies have light green to tan, often semi-transparent, oval bodies which may blend with the surrounding leaf surface, making them a bit tougher to spot. The pupae also have red eyes. Immature stages of S. simplex can be found on both lower and upper surfaces of leaves, unlike many other whitefly species. Ficus whitefly eggs are yellow to light brown color, and a bit elongated. These are commonly deposited mostly along the middle vein on the underside of the leaves. All stages have their unique features and this makes for easier identification of these insects by novice and experienced gardeners alike.

Are your plants under ficus whitefly attack? Look for wilting yellow leaves that eventually fall off the plant, as well as plants that have lost their leaves out of season. Gently move your plant and watch for flying clouds of little white flies. Plants that are highly susceptible to the ficus whitefly include ficus hedges, banana leaf figs, fiddle leaf figs, strangler figs, weeping figs, Cuban laurels and banyan and false banyan trees. They have also been spotted on rhododendrons.

If you are experiencing ficus whitefly infestation treatment has to be applied at least annually. Your plants will have to be treated for the long term as this pest is not expected to go away now that populations here in Florida are well-established. Protect your trees and bushes from attack by Whitefly. 
Zimmerman Tree Services provides expert, licensed professional protection of your plants from infestation of the invasive, devastating Whitefly pests. 
There are different Whitefly treatment methods that may be applied to trees and hedges.

http://zimmermantreeservice.com/Services/WhiteflyTreatment.aspx