Sounds like it is whiteflies, because these things fly. They are tiny, almost pinpoint sized tiny. The slightest movement sends them flying out in a cloud. Fortunately, (knock on wood), I've yet to see the dreaded Tomato Spotted Wilt, but I've seen plenty of other disease.
Last year many of my plants got some sort of wilt that killed them overnight. No spots, healthy, green plants that went from perfect health to instant wilted death overnight. It started from the top of the plant and worked its way down from what I could tell.
This year I'm fighting a fierce case of Early Blight and my usual Septoria Leaf Spot. A couple of plants have gotten wilty looking, but they had not looked healthy for a while. They didn't die overnight like my plants from last year did, so I don't think it's the same thing. I planted in a different spot this year.
It seems like the amount of disease multiplied by loads once the whiteflies showed up. Nothing seems to deter these things either. The minute I start to spray anything, they scatter like crazy, and come back later completely healthy and unphased. I've ordered ladybugs, lacewings, praying mantis eggs, and other carnivorous insects. Nothing has stopped them. This year I signed up to get regular shipments from Gardens Alive, and that has reduced their numbers, but not eliminated them by any means. Oddly enough, I don't think they've bothered my peppers at all, at least not that I've noticed.
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Holly
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