South Florida is known for it's tropical weather and lush landscaping. Unfortunately, the recent invasion of the Ficus Whitefly has left the landscaping a little withered. These new pests are attacking ficus trees and hedges in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida. Known as the Ficus Whitefly, Singhiella simplex, this pest has generated a new US continental record. Whiteflies are small, winged insects that belong to the Order Hemiptera which also includes aphids, scales, mealybugs, and bugs. These insects typically feed on the underside of leaves with their “needle-like” mouthparts. Whiteflies can seriously injure host plants by sucking juices from them causing wilting, yellowing, stunting, leaf drop, or even death.
These pests are extremely small and hard to detect. How do you know if you have a Ficus Whitefly problem? Generally, you will experience withering or even death of your ficus plants as the insects feed off of the juices.
Contact your local pest control agencies to learn how to protect or save your ficus plants and hedges fro the Ficus Whitefly.
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