20 January 2021

Customer Question – Dealing with Aphids and Whitefly?

Q. “What’s the best way of getting rid of a variety of pests in the conservatory? The green and whitefly are going mad, though have tried to keep on top of them with SB invigorator. I have some large citrus plants so it’s difficult to cover top and bottom of all leaves. Is it safe to use garlic candles? I assume the smell may be strong but are they safe? Do you have any other suggestions? The citrus trees will go outside once danger of frost passed-so hopefully end of May.” Thanks Helen Watson

A. Thanks for the message and I suspect the Whitefly are the shed skins of the aphids and your main problem is aphids? Do the pests fly off when you shake the plants? If they fly off then they are whitefly but if not and they are stuck to the sticky deposits the aphids are making then it is the shed dried out skins of the aphids which are often mistaken for whitefly. Sb Invigorator is the a great starting point, so try and spray as best you can but try spraying a bit more often i.e. spray daily for 3 days. Garlic Candles are great for clearing over-wintering pests, but they will not cope with established pests and they will be very smelly. Once you have sprayed a couple of more times as best you can to kill as many pests as possible, I would then release Ladybird Larvae to clear up the rest – ladybird larvae will attack aphids and whitefly if they are there – please visit  to find out more. Then when you pop the plants outdoors the ladybirds can escape into the garden – we only use NATIVE ladybirds. I hope this helps. Jon @ Green Gardener