Box trees are actually quite robust when it comes to diseases. Actually, the boxwood can't do anything against the whitefly. However, you can support him as a gardener. On this page you will learn how to combat the pest organically without harming your boxwood.
How do I fight the whitefly on boxwood?
To combat the whitefly on the boxwood biologically, you can spray rapeseed oil, encourage natural predators such as parasitic wasps or hang up yellow boards. Repeat the treatment if necessary for better results.
Conditions for an infestation
Whiteflies love warm climates. Infestations most often occur in late summer or early fall. However, if the weather is unusually warm, the occurrence can shift into spring.
Symptoms
- Honeydew on the leaves
- small whiteflies on the undersides of the leaves
- ring-shaped egg laying
- later white or greenish-yellow larvae that move slowly
- More immobile, pox-like larvae
- Flying up when the boxwood is touched
- Sooty mold as a secondary disease
Measures
- Spray rapeseed oil
- Predators
- Yellow boards
Spray rapeseed oil
An effective home remedy against whitefly is rapeseed oil. Mix this with water, fill it into a spray bottle and apply the product to the undersides of the leaves early in the morning or late in the evening. You may have to repeat the application several times. If you would like to find out more about treatment with rapeseed oil, you can find all the important information at this link.
Predators
The parasitic wasp is an extremely useful insect in your garden. It feeds on the whitefly, but poses no danger to your plants. You can obtain an initial stock from specialist retailers. However, you can only use the parasitic wasp at a limited time per year.
Yellow boards
Not pretty but useful, yellow boards are yellow pennants with a sticky coating. Hang these near your box trees. Since whiteflies are attracted to the yellow color, they will stick to the boards.
Note: If the home remedies mentioned do not help, you should ask a specialist retailer about biological remedies. These are always preferable to chemical fungicides.
