If you suddenly find that a whitefly on tomatoes has appeared in your garden, then in no case let it go by its own accord. Whitefly is an insect that harms not only tomatoes. Other vegetables, as well as greens and flowers, may fall under the hot hand.
Whiteflies are small, not more than 3 mm in length, flies having wings covered with a former plaque. They inhabit the plant in large quantities. Their greatest accumulation is, as a rule, on the underside of the leaf. The main harm that a whitefly does on tomatoes is the stool it leaves on a leaf, usually on its upper part. Initially, they look like a brilliant coating. Later, in the places covered with such a coating, sooty mushrooms are formed, which are first white and then black.
The fight against whiteflies on tomatoes begins with the prevention of its appearance. For this, plants that are threatened with whitefly damage are planted in well-ventilated places with a low temperature, possibly 14-15 degrees. Because the main reason for the appearance of the insect is the too close arrangement of plants in poorly ventilated places with high temperature and humidity.
If plantations have already been inhabited by whiteflies, control measures should be persistent. To begin with, if plants inhabit adult midges, it is necessary to place glue traps nearby. Commercially available adhesive tapes designed for flies are quite suitable. You can make these traps yourself. To do this, paint pieces of cardboard or any other material in a bright color, for example, yellow or white (so you will attract insects to the bait), and then grease the surface with castor oil or petroleum jelly. Insects sitting on such a surface will stick.
The next stage, due to which the whitefly on the tomatoes disappears, is spraying plants using various chemicals. According to the advice of experienced gardeners, an effective folk remedy for fighting whiteflies - from a pharmacy, for the treatment of scabies. Of course, you need to buy not an ointment, but an emulsion, which after dilution with water in the ratio of 30-50 grams of the product per liter of water will become a composition for spraying damaged plants. Do not forget to wash off insects and plaque covering the leaves with water, only after that proceed with processing. Spray the plants once every few days until the whitefly on the tomatoes disappears completely.
Another folk remedy is the infusion of garlic. To prepare it, pour about 150 grams of garlic with a liter of water, tightly cover the dishes with the composition and insist for 5 days. After the specified time, the tool is ready. Dilute about 6 grams of infusion with a liter of water and spray the plants with the same frequency and in the same way as in the first case.
If folk remedies, which are quite soft, do not help, do not delay with a complete cure and proceed with the processing of pesticides. When choosing a drug, carefully study the instructions for use - not all products are safe for all types of plants. Consider the location of your plantings: some tools are recommended for indoor use, and some in an open space. The method of use for various drugs is different: some are used once, while others require a course of procedures.