"MythBusters Challenge" - Azatrol vs. Take Down Garden Spray

b54red · August 12, 2010

I have had several years where the whiteflies were so bad I couldn't even breath without getting them in my mouth or nose when I disturbed my tomato plants. If you have them that bad then you are going to have to work your butt off to get them under control.
First of all it will take several different types of spray and you will have to spray about every 3 days for a couple of weeks to really get the population down. I used a pyrethrin & neem oil spray, a soap and canola oil spray, permethrin and soap spray, dormant oil spray, peppermint, clove, and cederwood oil mixed with very soapy water, and Malation and soapy water. I also used a high pressure water spray and even tried my leaf blower. I did get them under control but it was very hard work and every time I let up on my spraying they came back in force. If they get bad this year I am going to try a growth regulator also. It sure helps with fleas in the yard so why not whiteflies.
If you plant fall beans and cucumbers and squash they will swarm all over them. They seem to like them better than tomatoes.

August 12, 2010	#11
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have had several years where the whiteflies were so bad I couldn't even breath without getting them in my mouth or nose when I disturbed my tomato plants. If you have them that bad then you are going to have to work your butt off to get them under control. First of all it will take several different types of spray and you will have to spray about every 3 days for a couple of weeks to really get the population down. I used a pyrethrin & neem oil spray, a soap and canola oil spray, permethrin and soap spray, dormant oil spray, peppermint, clove, and cederwood oil mixed with very soapy water, and Malation and soapy water. I also used a high pressure water spray and even tried my leaf blower. I did get them under control but it was very hard work and every time I let up on my spraying they came back in force. If they get bad this year I am going to try a growth regulator also. It sure helps with fleas in the yard so why not whiteflies. If you plant fall beans and cucumbers and squash they will swarm all over them. They seem to like them better than tomatoes.