[Onion11]

Hello,

I'm having terrible problems with white fly on my window sill herbs. I've lost my basil, the sage seems to be heading the same direction, the mint is starting to follow suit.
I sprayed the basil with Bug Clear Fruit and Veg - as recommended to me in the garden centre, but that seemed to do even more damage from which my tender basil never recovered. I didn't want to use the same spray on the others and have been trying to remove the flies when i see them, but they just keep coming back for more.

Does anyone have any home remedies or the name of a good product for getting rid of the flies on the herbs, I guess it would have to be a fairly delicate product.

Thanks for your help,

Onion.

[Foxylock]

Hi onion11

Ladybirds are known for their voracious appetite for whitefly, so maybe mother nature has the answer no chemicals needed You can now buy ladybirds in a lot of garden centres.

[James Kilkelly]

A small plant can be plunged foliage only into a bucket of soapy water to sort out the whitefly.
Tie a plastic bag around the compost filled pot and hold on tight to prevent spillage.

[cathd]

I've often used James's tip- I've also just run a plant under gently running water if I'm in a hurry. You might need to do it every couple of days to get new flies hatching out. Don't wait till you can see them!
I also tend to replace the top half inch or so of compost if it's a really bad infestation,(running tap can be good for removing compost) I know whitefly eggs are supposed to just be on leaves, but I'm convinced some survive a dunking in compost! I also remove any leaves that look as if they're about to drop off or show any signs of infestation. Sage in particular can survive a good pruning.
If you have access to some worm compost- from your own or a friend's wormery- worm compost (vermicompost) is great for keeping pests off plants.