Organic Home Remedy For Whiteflies On Tomato Plants

Time to Read 5 Minutes.

Whiteflies are a common pest in tomato plants. These insects’ scientific name is Aleyrodidae. These bugs transmit the tomato yellow leaf curl virus and other crop diseases. Whiteflies are sucking the sap of the leaves, and it is directly impacting tomato plants’ growth.

Aleyrodidae lay eggs underneath the leaves. And whiteflies can quickly spread in greenhouses and indoor tomato plants. Whitefly control remedies should be used as soon as they are found on your tomato plants. These pests are closely related to aphids and mealybugs.

This article will cover DIY home remedies for whiteflies on tomato plants to control these bugs. These Natural remedies for whitefly on tomatoes destroy their life cycle, completely preventing further infections.

What are the dangerous whiteflies to Tomato plants?

Before we learn How to get rid of whiteflies naturally, it is better to know how these insects destroy tomato plants. Whiteflies feed tomato leaves sap, especially new growth. When these insects’ populations increase, you can find sticky substances (honey-like) in leaves and steam. This sticky substance attracts other harmful pests and spreads fungal diseases.

A serious whiteflies outbreak can cause tomato leaves are turning yellow, wither, and drop prematurely, weakening the plant photosynthesis and stunting the growth and yield.

Organic Home Remedy For Whiteflies On Tomato Plants.

White oil for whiteflies.

White oil is the best insecticide for whiteflies on tomato plants, and it is an inexpensive organic pesticide that anyone can make at home. We can use any cooking oil (vegetable oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, etc.) with liquid soap and mix well and dilute with one gallon of water, and spray.

These oils do not mix with water, and therefore we have to use the emulsifying agent. Soap is an excellent emulsifying agent, and you can use either liquid soap, bathing soap, or dishwashing soap.

How do you use white oil insecticide?

• Pour three teaspoons of oil and half a teaspoon of soap liquid into a small bottle or container.
• Mix the two liquids well until they are well whitened.
• Mix the white oil solution well with 2 gallons of water.
• Spray this organic whitefly pesticide on the whole plant, mainly the underneath leaves and the stem.

The best time to apply white oil for whiteflies is in the evening when there is no direct sun, and the intense sunlight causes the tomato leaves to burn. For Tomato Plants, this organic whitefly pesticide treatment should be repeated every seven days until the insects are gone. This organic pesticide can control scale, mealy bugs.

Tobacco sprays for whiteflies.

Tobacco spray is another whitefly organic pesticide. Highly concentrated tobacco spray can burn tomato leaves and fruits. Therefore you have to use the correct amount.

Tomacco contains a high amount of nicotine; it is highly toxic to soft body insects like whiteflies. Unlike white oil, this organic pesticide needs 24 hours to prepare.

How to make tobacco spray.

• Get a cup of loose tobacco.
• Pour into 1 gallon of water.
• Let the tobacco brew overnight (over 8 hours).
• Strain the solution and spray the infected tomato plants.

You can reapply for this solution every seven days. In some situations, these bugs disappear in the first application. This solution effectively controls other soft body insects like caterpillars and aphids.

Neem oil.

Neem oil is also an excellent organic pesticide for tomato pests. White oil and neem oil are also similar, but neem oil contains azadirachtin organic chemicals that can repel tomato pests and fungus.

When shopping for neem oil, always try to use cold-pressed neem oil because neem oil extract does not contain azadirachtin.

Neem oil for tomato whiteflies.

• Pour three teaspoons of neem oil into a small bottle or jug and half a teaspoon of liquid soap or dishwasher.
• Thoroughly mix the two liquids until its color changes to white.
• Mix the neem oil solution with one gallon of water.
• Spray the neem oil and mix tomato leaves and stem. Whiteflies live underneath the leaves; therefore, spray the solution to the bottom of the leaves.

Do not apply neem oil organic pesticide solution for tomato plants on hot sunny days. The best time to apply is in the evening when there is no direct sun.

White vinegar for Whiteflies.

White vinegar is another best insecticide for whiteflies. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is a toxin to whiteflies, aphids, and other soft body insects and weeds. There is not much difference between white vinegar and wood vinegar.

How to spray vinegar for tomato whiteflies.

• Mix white vinegar/wood vinegar with water at a 1:40 ratio.
• Once dilute the solution, spray the whiteflies’ attract area especially underneath of leaves and stem.

You have to reapply Whitefly insecticide spray twice a week to get rid of whiteflies on tomato leaves.

Alcohol mix spray.

Alcohol is another excellent whitefly pesticide for tomato plants, and this organic pesticide can kill soft body insects by absorbing their body’s water. We can find different alcohol products on the market, like isopropanol, isopropyl, or ethanol (grain alcohol).

According to most pest control experts, rubbing alcohol is the most common type of alcohol used as an insecticide. We can find 70% isopropyl alcohol concentration in such products. We can directly apply these hands rubbing alcohol to plants. But if you use ethanol, you have to dilute it with water.

Tomato leaves are more sensitive, and the leaves can burn faster if you mix too much alcohol in the solution.

How to use Alcohol spray for tomato whiteflies?

• Diluted alcohol with water at a 1:1 ratio. Do not use more than 50% alcohol, it can harmful to the plant.
• Spray the entire plant including underneath the leaves and stem.

Apply this organic whitefly spray every 3-4 days until the whiteflies are gone as the spray evaporates quickly. The best time to apply is in the evening with moderate temperatures.

FAQ

Does soapy water kill whiteflies?

Soapy water can kill whiteflies but I recommend a mix of cooking oil with soap water (white oil) is the best home remedy for whiteflies on tomato plants.

How often should you spray for whiteflies?

It is recommended to apply pesticide spray for whiteflies every 3 to 7 days until they are gone. If you spray the white oil organic pesticide for tomato plants, you may need to apply it only a single time.

What is the best time of day to spray for whiteflies?

The best time to spray pesticides on whiteflies is in the evening when there is no direct sunlight or light rain. These insects are most active in the morning and evening. When pesticides are applied in the evening, the solution stays on the leaves longer than during the day.

Is Neem oil the same as white oil?

Neem oil and white oil are the same. White oil can be made using any cooking oil or neem oil with emulsifying agents like soap. But the main difference is neem oil contains azadirachtin chemical that is a toxin to a wide variety of pests and fungus, but other oils like vegetable oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, olive oil do not contain azadirachtin.

Therefore when making white oil pesticides, using neem oil has more benefits. Also, always use cold-pressed neem oil, which contains azadirachtin compound. Neem oil extract does not contain azadirachtin.

What can I spray for whiteflies?

The best organic pesticide for whiteflies is white oil. We prevent whiteflies on tomato plants within two or three days by applying white oil.