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How to Use Biological Controls of Whiteflies in your Greenhouse?


The existence of greenhouse whitefly is always bane , especially if you are growing poinsettias. As soon as you are getting poinsettias you can expect whiteflies to come along with them. The best thing is that this creature is a very predictable pest so managing them can be planned properly. Greenhouse whiteflies can dangerously attack down all the plants. Searching for the proper organic treatment for whiteflies is necessary.

A greenhouse filled with vibrant plants, with a close-up of whiteflies on a leaf, and beneficial insects like ladybugs and parasitic wasps being introduced to control the whitefly population.

Know your pest, the dangerous whiteflies

Most commonly, you will find whiteflies on vegetable plants. The common whiteflies found in greenhouses include the greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) and the sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). Greenhouse whitefly damages leaves initially before sucking the fluid present in the whole plant. They look to lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves of the plants they attack. They are tiny crawlers and hatch the eggs underneath the leaves to settle there. Then they moult into immobile nymphs. Their presence leads to leaves having yellow or green chlorotic spots. These spots appear on the tops while the nymphs are sucking fluid at the bottom of the leaves. Have you checked other phloem feeders? They produce honeydew that usually leaves shiny patches on leaves. It helps the black sooty mold to grow. The same happens when these whiteflies also attack.

Whitefly biological control

Organic treatment for whiteflies is always needed. While doing whitefly pest management, one needs to understand the importance. Generally, you can monitor the whiteflies and keep scouting to catch the attack in the early stage. Sometimes, you can have biological treatment as soon as the pests are found, or you can also prefer to use it as a preventive method.

Encarsia and Eretmocerus parasitoids

A close-up image of a leaf heavily infested with small whiteflies, known as greenhouse whiteflies.

These two parasitoids are ubiquitous biological control agents. These tiny creatures lay eggs inside or just beneath whitefly nymphs. Then, these tiny wasp larvae feed and develop within the nymphs of the whiteflies and come up as adults to kill the nymphs. The most important thing you should keep in mind is that Eretmocerus is the specialist for the sweet potato whitefly, while Encarsia is the specialist for the greenhouse whitefly. These parasitoids are usually sold as pupae within the whitefly pupae that are glued to the cardboard strips and hung on plants. These parasitoids are typically used as a preferred organic solution for whitefly attacks.

Amblyseius swirskii

Amblyseius swirskii is a predatory mite. It is another biological control agent that attacks whiteflies on vegetable plants. It complements parasitoids in poinsettia production usually. This tiny predator does not only eat whitefly eggs and small nymphs but also attacks the thrips. These are strongly known for attacking the whiteflies, but they do not usually fly. As the flying stuff goes against them, a farmer doing greenhouse farming who wants to get rid of whiteflies should distribute it in small sachets to all the plants.

Delphastus Catalina

Have you seen the tiny black lady beetles? Their scientific name is Delhastus catalinae. They are just less than 2 mm long and are known to feed voraciously on whitefly eggs and nymphs. If you are looking to know how to get rid of whiteflies naturally, then these beetles can be the choice you should look at. The major drawback is that these beetles want to eat so many whitefly eggs and nymphs to survive that it is hard to sustain them. If your garden has too many whiteflies, then only these black lady beetles are optimal for you.

Beauveria bassiana

An image showing greenhouse whiteflies on a leaf with an inset of a container filled with Beauveria bassiana powder, a biological control agent.

Pathogens like Beauveria bassiana are known to be the best biological control options for organic whitefly management. Spray them in the garden near the roots and leaves of the plants like an insecticide. The best thing about this pathogen is that it does not just kill the whiteflies but also kills thrips, mites, and aphids easily. They complement the complete whitefly pest management program well. It also strengthens the soil for future gardening purposes. It can also be used as a preventive measure very easily.

Why use Beauveria bassiana from Novobac?

There are many benefits of using Beauveria bassiana from Novobac. It is usually the best active ingredient in the organic pesticide for whitefly present in products like Beveria WP.

  • It comprehensively eradicates all the dangerous pests.
  • It is an effective whitefly organic insecticide at all the phases of life of the plantation.
  • A farmer gets good application flexibility.
  • Using this product helps you have innovative resistance methods and reduces the demand for traditional pesticides.
  • It also releases beneficial species without attacking them and focuses only on dangerous pests.

Knowing Beveria WP of Novobac

Beveria WP is a very popular bio insecticide developed with a patented formula of Novobac. The active ingredient present in it is none other than Beauveria bassiana. The Beveria WP is a naturally occurring strong fungus. It is a natural pesticide that just does not act as an organic solution for whiteflies, but also works against other varieties of insect pests like thrips and aphids. It is even safe to use in indoor plants. Novobac has worked judiciously in developing this amazing product to attack whiteflies.

Conclusion

Your search for an organic solution for whiteflies ends here with Novobac that is a very reliable manufacturer. Novobac is a brand that produces sustainable options to prevent and protect plantations from dangerous pests. Beauveria bassiana, it uses is a patented product that helps the farming process to be sustainable without hampering the soil. While other organic solutions for whitefly focus have one negative or another, this is usually the safe option. Even the chemical option provides a quick solution, but it can hamper the quality of soil and does not allow good production in the next batch of crops. Novobac is always the reliable supplier to consider for high-quality products like Beaveria bassiana.

References:

  1. Feng, Mn G., Bin Chen, and S. H. Ying. “Trials of Beauveria bassiana, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus and imidacloprid for management of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on greenhouse grown lettuce.” Biocontrol Science and Technology 14.6 (2004): 531-544.
  2. Olson, D. L., and R. D. Oetting. “The efficacy of mycoinsecticides of Beauveria bassiana against silverleaf whitefly (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on poinsettia.” Journal of agricultural and urban entomology 16 (1999): 179-185.

 

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