The cabbage scale insect, often called whitefly, loves cabbage and especially kale. Below you will find out how you can recognize a whitefly pest infestation, what you can do against the insects and whether you can still eat your kale despite the infestation.
Is kale with whiteflies still edible?
Kale that is infested with whitefly can generally still be eaten. In addition to removing affected leaves and washing off the flies in the water, it is recommended to boil or fry the kale thoroughly to eliminate any larvae and sticky substances.
Identifying the whitefly
Whiteflies are usually only a few millimeters in size, but are still easily visible to the naked eye. Since they are usually very numerous, entire clouds of white-winged insects fly up when the affected leaves are touched. It is difficult to recognize the much smaller, greenish larvae, which resemble scale insects and - as the name suggests - belong to the genus of plant lice. The cabbage moth scale insects secrete a sticky substance that is very characteristic of this type of pest is.
Fighting the whitefly
Whiteflies can be controlled with the usual biological insect repellents:
- Soap solution with spirit: Mix 1 tablespoon of soft soap in one liter of water with 100ml spirit
- Neem oil
- Rapeseed oil: 1 part rapeseed oil to 2 parts water, possibly a few drops of dishwashing liquid
Fill your chosen home remedy into a spray bottle and spray your cabbage that is infested with cabbage scale insects thoroughly. Remove severely infested leaves. Repeat the spraying process every 5 to 7 days, even some time after the flies have disappeared, to destroy newly hatched ones.
Can kale that is infected with whitefly still be eaten?
In principle, yes. Whiteflies are neither poisonous nor inedible, but they are a bit disgusting. You can let the kale sit in water for a while after harvesting and this will help eliminate the vast majority of flies. However, you won't get rid of the larvae this way. However, larvae are only proteins and will not harm you in any way. If you then boil or fry your kale, the sticky secretion will also disappear. But hardly anyone is comfortable with the idea that she is lice, even if in principle there is nothing involved.
