Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me!

Our ficus hedges have taken a hit over the past couple of weeks. They are being attacked by the ficus whitefly. This tiny insect pest spends most of its time on the underside of leaves sucking juices from the plant. As a result, leaves begin to curl, turn yellow and fall off. Severe infestations can leave a plant completely defoliated and possibly cause the plant to die. We identified the infestation a couple of weeks ago and have treated with a systemic insecticide. Once the whitefly are under control the hedge should begin to recover.

   Ficus hedge dropping leaves

   Immature stages of whitefly on underside of leaves