whiteflies and eggs on underside of leaf at magnification garden pest

What Are Whiteflies, Anyway?

Whiteflies are sap-suckers. They latch onto plant leaves and drink the liquid and sap from your plants.

Often referred to as 'honeydew', you'll see shiny droplets of a clear sticky resin on plant leaves after whiteflies have become a problem.

What Do Whiteflies Indicate About My Garden?

Plants produce chemotoxins to fight off pests, and are generally quite successful when healthy. Think of this like your own immune system - often taking care of numerous problems before you even notice.

A stressed / sickly plant will have a reduced ability to engage in chemical warfare to protect itself from pests.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Refer to the privacy policy for more information.

Whiteflies, like most pests, will target the weakest and most sickly plants first. This is because that's where they can get the best meal with the least chemotoxins emitted from the plant.

Insecticidal Soap

I saved this option for last because insecticidal soaps kill many soft-bodied insects and are indiscriminate. For this reason, if you've already established a healthy ecosystem of beneficials, DO NOT spray insecticidal soap.

I recommend insecticidal soap only for indoor / greenhouse applications where you haven't already released predators and the ecosystem is not in balance.

You can mix something like Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap at a rate of 1 tbsp per quart of water and spray on your plant leaves daily.

This can be a quick way to knock down a bad indoor whitefly population rapidly, prior to releasing beneficials to finish the job.

Last Thoughts...

Looking for ways to control other garden pests naturally? Check out the full guide here.