Is it whitefly??

[jonohanson]

On my brassicas (the netted ones) I have a large amount of little white flecks that when I touch the plant they fly off. Are these whiteflys?

Many Thanks

[rustylady]

They are indeed

[Lotsaveg]

Not the same species as you find on your tomatoes though! These little pests will be the cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella and they have the remarkable ability to survive being frozen during harsh winters!

[Florence Fennel]

Funny you should say that Lotsaveg, I remember Arpoet harvesting some frozen greens from his allotment early in the year and he found live whitefly. They must be survivors after the winter we had!

[vegnut]

Pesky little things. They just don't seem to die naturally LoL

[arpoet]

Funny you should say that Lotsaveg, I remember Arpoet harvesting some frozen greens from his allotment early in the year and he found live whitefly. They must be survivors after the winter we had!

Sure did... two foot of snow, -19c, and the little critters were still alive... and they still are. I planted the next lot of xmas sprouts where the first tatties were and the whiteflies all shouted.. Goody... its nearly winter agin.... Im note sure if they do any harm or not, but if left on the sprouts when cooking they must add protein...hmmmm i wonder if slugs can be..... no, never mind.
Roger

[Lotsaveg]

I've seen some amazing infestations of this whitefly where the plants are completely black on top of the leaves where sooty mould grows on the honeydew squirted out by the whitefly. The undersides of the leaves are covered in the shiny larvae and the white adults. If you then move the plant a cloud of whitefly takes off!!

Because brassicas are very waxy plants, it's difficult to treat these whitefly as the spray just runs off the leaves. Best policy to keep numbers low is to remove lower leaves and make sure all the leaves that naturally fall off plants are destroyed.

Interestingly I was watching yellow-jacket wasps feeding on whitefly the other day!