One of the most commonly grown vegetables in vegetable gardens is the tomato. It can be planted outdoors or kept in greenhouses - the location depends on the region and climatic conditions, which must be taken into account for a good and high-quality harvest. In addition to the main agrotechnical measures, during the cultivation of tomato seedlings, you need to ensure that a whitefly does not start on it - a pest that can reduce the number of specimens suitable for planting. That is why it is very important to know in advance all possible information in order to be able to deal with it correctly.

Whitefly description

If a whitefly appears on tomato seedlings, you need to know how to fight in advance. In order to take quick and correct measures, you need to have information about the pest. The whitefly looks like a small fly on planted tomatoes. The length of the insect is no more than 3 mm, so single specimens are very difficult to see without special equipment.

Whitefly

These insects have wings covered with a white coating, so they got the appropriate name. Several hundred of these flies can settle on one plant; in 90% of cases, you need to look for them from the lower side of the leaf. The main harm to tomato planting from the whitefly is the waste products that it leaves on the leaf or stem on the upper side. If a similar plaque begins to appear on the seedlings, you need to take immediate measures to eliminate it and remove the pest, since fungi will form at the site of the plaque later. At first they are white, then darken and reach black.

In most cases, whiteflies lay their eggs outdoors in the spring when the chance of frost is minimized. In the case when the seedlings are grown in a room or greenhouse, the insect is able to reproduce throughout the year. The larvae appear 7-8 days after the eggs have been laid. Then the larvae need to find a place for attachment (the lower part of the leaf blade), where they turn into nymphs. The whitefly then remains motionless on the leaf for 2 weeks.

Important! During this period, chemicals do not affect the pest.

After 2 weeks have passed, whiteflies mature. Now they are ready to mate on their own, which will lead to an increase in their number several times. The full biological life cycle of the pest is 25 days, while females live up to 1 month. The number of eggs that are laid by 1 individual reaches 140 pieces.

Signs of the presence of a pest

Attention! You need to plant tomatoes for seedlings in late February - early March.

In order for seedlings to appear, it is necessary to maintain optimal microclimate indicators - the temperature in the room is + 22-24 degrees, humidity in the aisles of the norm. After the appearance of 3 true leaves, the seedlings are dived. With the onset of warmth, the culture is transplanted into open ground or a greenhouse.

From this moment, it is required not only to carry out all the necessary agrotechnical measures, but also to ensure that the planting material is not damaged by insects. The main signs of the negative influence of the whitefly:

  • slow growth of seedlings;
  • there are traces of the presence of insects on the leaves (dots);
  • there is a sticky pallet on the leaves;
  • on the underside of the leaf blade, small larvae of the pest are sometimes located.

If the lesion is too strong, then the leaves of the tomatoes quickly curl, darken, dry out and fall off. Also, the pest causes the transmission of fungal infections to the plant. As a result of their negative influence, gray and black spots appear, which indicate the presence of a fungus. For this reason, measures must be taken to treat tomatoes immediately. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the plant will have to be treated from the fungus, as well as to get rid of the insect, that is, the measures must be comprehensive.

Important! You can visually observe the presence of a whitefly on a tomato by touching the leaves of the plant: if a swarm of small flies rises into the air, then the pest is present.

Control methods

Get rid of the whitefly

The main fight against whitefly in a greenhouse on tomatoes, as well as in open ground, begins with preventive measures. They assume that the plants will be kept in well-ventilated areas. The air temperature should be low (14-15 degrees).

Promotes the rapid reproduction of the pest, too close arrangement of seedlings or plants planted closely in a permanent place, therefore, a distance is required. High humidity conditions will also be favorable for the whitefly.

Important! If a colony is found, measures of influence must be comprehensive and persistent, since not all means can cope with the pest at one time.

If the question arises of how to deal with a whitefly that has settled on tomato seedlings, then you need to determine its age, since adult flies can be caught on special adhesive tapes. They need to be hung in a greenhouse or in a room.

An effective folk way to get rid of the problem is such a tool that can catch flies, like sticky tape, is prepared simply on its own. For this purpose, you need to take a small piece of thick cardboard, then paint it in a bright color (yellow, red) to attract the attention of insects. The surface of the cardboard must be greased with castor oil; Vaseline is also well suited for this purpose. When the whitefly sits on the surface, it will adhere, which will eventually get rid of the entire colony.

Attention! Effective insect control products must be selected taking into account the complex life cycle and excellent reproduction rates.

In order to protect the future tomato harvest, it is recommended to give preference to chemical compositions. They are able to remove adults that can lay eggs. In this case, it must be borne in mind that it is undesirable to use highly toxic compounds and agents in the rooms, since they can negatively affect the state of health. Also, chemicals can settle directly on tomato seedlings.

The most effective are the compositions of Aktar or Verticillin. Actar is the optimal composition, since its action is long-lasting. One treatment is enough for 3-4 weeks. Also, using this tool, you do not need to spray it with tomato seedlings. In order for it to start working and effectively fight the pest, you only need to pour the composition at the root. In this case, the seedlings will not pick up harmful substances, but the life cycle of the whitefly will be disrupted. It is recommended to repeat the treatment - you need to repeat watering 2-3 more times, maintaining a period of time of 7 days.

Attention! In order to get rid of whitefly in one try, you need to use a concentrated solution of Aktara. Seedlings will not be affected in this case, tomatoes will retain useful substances, but the whitefly will not disturb the gardener. Fitoverm can be used for greenhouse plants.

Another remedy tested by experienced gardeners is Verticillin. It is used when it is necessary to eliminate the fungus.The use of the drug allows you to destroy the formed fungal spores, which avoids the development of infection on the seedlings. This effect negatively affects the whitefly. In order to properly process the landing, you need to dilute the product (25 ml) in 1 liter of water. The resulting solution is divided into 2 parts. It must be used for spraying. It is necessary to maintain a period of 10 days between them.

It is recommended to give preference to chemical compositions

Also, folk remedies and methods of pest control show good results. Common herbal infusions work well. It is recommended to use them, since all formulations on herbs and plants are completely safe for human health, do not contain chemical components. It must be remembered that for a high-quality fight against whitefly, treatment is required every 6-7 days. You need to repeat the procedure until the pest completely disappears.

Attention! For guaranteed disposal of the pest, it is necessary to spray with vegetable broths in combination with mechanical control (collection and destruction of eggs and larvae of flies).

The main condition for success is that before starting to use folk remedies, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the tomato seedlings with soapy water. This approach helps to facilitate the mechanical harvesting of the whitefly.

One of the most effective folk remedies is a garlic solution. For its correct preparation, you need to take 150-200 g of fresh garlic cloves without husks. The vegetable needs to be finely chopped or kneaded under a press, and then poured with a liter of water. The resulting solution will need to be left for a week to get an effective infusion. The container where the tincture is located must be tightly closed with a cork. Before use, the concentrate must be additionally diluted with water in a ratio of 6 ml per 1 liter of pure water. Then the damaged tomato seedlings are sprayed, which allows you to quickly get rid of the negative influence of the whitefly.

Attention! A solution of wood ash does a good job of eliminating the pest.

To prepare it, you will need to take 35 g of ash and 10 liters of water. The resulting solution must be sprayed. The procedure should be repeated 3 days in a row to get a positive effect.

Other pests of tomatoes

In addition to whitefly, other pests that can damage tomato seedlings should be destroyed. In addition to this pest, you need to protect plantings from:

  • bedbugs;
  • ticks;
  • Colorado potato beetle;
  • aphids;
  • beetle larvae;
  • bear;
  • nematodes;
  • wireworm.

Attention! In most cases, aphids attack tomatoes.

It also settles on the inside of the leaf. The pest is small, black or yellow. The clutch of eggs, like the whitefly, has a sticky mass. The main time for the appearance of this pest is mid-summer.

All pests harm the plant, as they drink juices and take away most of the nutrients. As a result, tomato seedlings experience wilting of leaves, their drying. In some cases, the foliage changes color to brown or yellow, curls into a tube. If you do not take action, then pests can destroy plantings in 3-4 days or significantly reduce yields. Also, tomatoes can dry out - this is observed with a large accumulation of pests, since they cause significant damage to the plant.

Tomato pests

Most types of pests can be eliminated using a solution of Karbofos, bleach and Trichlometaphos. Since they all contain a chemical component in their composition, it is required to dilute the preparations in strict accordance with the attached instructions. The process of spraying plantings or seedlings is carried out from a spray bottle. The funds are applied to the underside of the leaves, where pests most often live. Also, whitefly or other pests on tomatoes in the greenhouse, methods of control and prevention involve mechanical harvesting to reduce the population.

Attention! Flushing with a stream of water is used among the methods of control.

It should be borne in mind that this approach is practically ineffective for dealing with egg clutches. High-quality folk remedies can eliminate many types of insects that negatively affect tomatoes. Soap-ash solution, herbal extracts of wormwood, chopped garlic, celandine, hot pepper or yarrow work well. Also, some pests do not tolerate the aroma of some varieties of flowers (nasturtium, thyme). You can use onion peel tinctures to spray the plant to repel insects.

If a whitefly appeared on tomatoes in a greenhouse, how to get rid of it, you need to find out without delay. It is important to make solutions that are capable of removing insects in different phases of the life cycle. That is why chemical and folk remedies are used in combination. It is important that the flowering is pest-free in order to maintain yields.