Neem Oil on White Flies

by Terry
(Roanoke Va.)

Will neem oil work on white flies? My tomatoes and squash plants are totally covered in them.

Comments for Neem Oil on White Flies

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Neem oil for whiteflies
by: Birgit

Hi Terry,
Yes, in my and my readers' experience neem oil works very well on whiteflies!
Despite their name whiteflies are not really flies. In fact, they are related to aphids. And like aphids they are not hard to get rid off. Their soft bodies make them very vulnerable.

A soap spray alone would already affect them. Add neem oil into the mix and you also prevent the nymphs from developing into adults.
White fly controlled by neem
by: JERRY

Hi Terry,
I would like to let you know that the neem oil does in fact control the white fly. I have been spraying for two years now on a very small island in the Bahamas and the number of white flies has dropped dramatically. The thing to remember is a consistant scheduled spray.
Neem use in Caribbean
by: MrNatural

I have a very large Neem tree and would like to start mixing my own pesticide to help farmers in the Dominican Republic. For white fly, aphids, caterpillars and worms in the Tropical Caribbean area, please contact me directly at paul_modde@yahoo.ca
Neem on tomato fruit
by: Barb

I have two tomato plants with white fly infestations. I have neem oil and know how to use it on plants. But can you use it when there is fruit on the plant? If so, do you just wash with dish detergent to remove or does it penetrate into the fruit?

Thanks!
Neem oil use on tomatoes
by: JERRY

Yes, you can use it on your tomatoes. The best part about neem being nontoxic is you can eat the fruits and vegetables the same day you?ve sprayed them. If you want to wash them, you can. However, I?ve never had any complaints about the fruits and vegetables that have been treated with neem in my garden. Just make sure to always follow the directions when you spray.

I usually spray neem on tomatoes at dusk and allow it to set on the plants overnight to prevent the oil in the hot afternoon sun from burning them.
Neem use as Pesticide
by: sebastien

What is the common name of neem-based pesticide in the DR, and can it be easily found commercially?
Neem
by: Anonymous

Most neem based pesticides will have "neem" right on the front label; look in the organic section. I purchase my products straight from Abaco Neem in the Bahamas. Their email address is info@abaconeem.com. Look them up and they can give you many more options that I.

I use the neem cake and the neem oil depending on the pest. 1/2 cup neem cake soaked in 5 gallons of water for six hours. This must be used in the next four hours after the soak period. Add 3 oz of mild liquid soap and mix with a paddle mixer on a drill and strain through a fine screen.

For the oil, use 2 tablespoons neem oil, 3oz liquid soap mixed in 1 gallon of water and spray with pump sprayer.
Whiteflies on Cannabis
by: Anonymous

Can I spray the neem soap solution on cannabis flowering buds? I'm in my last three weeks of flowering now.
Alternative Gardening
by: Anonymous

You can use the recipe for the smallest percent (.5%) and wash off the plants just prior to harvest and let them dry.
Neem on Tomatoes
by: Andrea

Can I use neem on my tomatoes if they are covered in blossoms? If neem oil gets on the blossoms, will this harm beneficial insects such as bees?
Neem Oil
by: dazmania

What is considered a mild soap?
Neem oil
by: Dan

Hey I've been reading these posts about treating white flies. I'm currently in Malawi and having issues with them. I've started taking cotton swabs and applying neem oil to my vegetation. I just wanted to comment about washing your vegetables before consumption if you're doing the same. Neem, while very useful for flying critters in the garden and fungus on skin it is, in fact, toxic if ingested in larger quantities.
Brown Bugs Getting into Fiigs
by: Anonymous

I have a fig tree, brown figs,in the central valley. When they are almost ripe and ready a little brown flying critter gets into the back of the fruit, and ruins it. What are those critters and what do I do
about them?
Neem oil stable products
by: Dr Tariq

I am a BioChemist and prepare Biopesticides from neem oil for the last one year. At the same time I am an environmental expert and use biopesticides on crops for reducing pesticides residues.
I have developed neem biopesticides and have made some products commercial in my country. Now you don't need neem oil and some liquid soap to mix for each time you use it. Simply open the bottle and pour required amount into your spray pump and use it.
Neem oil is producing very good result on aphids, mites, white flies, bugs and some very good fungicidal effects as well.
Dr Tariq
neem oil
by: Anonymous

I had a few white flies on my tomato plants maybe in their tens, I sprayed them with a home made herbal tea for a couple weeks, it seemed to work. I would check the plants the next day and only find a few of these pests. I brought neem eco oil as I heard so much about it. For the past week I have been using neem, I spray under the leaves every couple of days and the problem is worse. There are hundreds of them every day. I think I will do a side by side trial of neem and my tea to see if there is a difference. At this point I am not happy with the neem results...
Tea vrs Neem
by: Anonymous

Perhaps the tea kills beneficials as well and you lost that benefit.
Neem oil without the liquid soap Chemical please
by: Rukaiya

Thanks for your coments Dr. Tariq, my garden has been infested with white flies. I'll do a neem oil spray without the liquid soap addition and see how it goes. The addition of the soap doesn't sit well with me because I'm all for avoiding the chemicals out rightly. Wish me luck!
Rid your plants of white flies
by: Semaj

Many have asked if neem oil is toxic. Neem oil is not toxic to humans or plant life, however neem oil should be sprayed at the coolest available time (indoors lights off, outdoors in evening hours) as sunlight or artificial lights may burn the leaves and plants. When using neem oil as natural pesticide you will need to use an emollient mixture of neem + liqid soap (Dawn is an excellent choice). This is for a 1 gallon sprayer. In a large jar add 2 tsp of neem oil and 1 tsp Dawn, add to this warm water, fill nearly to top. Shake vigorously until mixture is complete. When done add this mixture to sprayer and add tepid water to sprayer to fill points. If using larger sprayer use the above mixture as a template and simply double, triple... etc. for your sprayer.
As white flies are actually closely related to aphids the neem oils pesticidal ingredient Azadirachtin will interfere with the white flies reproductive sufe cycle, causing adult flies infertile and eggs to die. To fortify this formula I would additionally add essential oils. Recomended choices are Lavender oil (6-10 drops per gal), clove oil (3-9 drops/gal), lemongrass oil (6-10 drops/gal), thyme oil (same as clove).
Neem Oil stable product
by: Dr Tariq

Neem Oil needs an emulsifier to mix in water. I have developed an emulsifier and now can develop neem oil ready to use having two years stability as a product.
Neem oil and white fly is worse
by: Anonymous

I used neem oil on some household plants and my white fly got worse immediately. My jade plant has lost half it's leaves and I think I'm going to lose all the plants I treated. Thoughts on why this might be happening, since most people are having such good results? I mixed a mild soap and neem with water. Is it possible the solution is too strong?
Neem on jade plants
by: Anonymous

I sprayed all my houseplants with a water, neem oil & soap spray and a couple of plants had adverse responses. My moranga plants dropped all their leaves and are having a hard time of it, also my jade plants seem to react to it as well, having similar responses.

My recommendation would be to spray a test area on any plant you want to spray and if it is sensitive then make the solution weaker or forego it all together and use a different method.

The neem was effective at considerably knocking back a fungal gnat infestation but they came back. Solved them with beneficial nematodes.

The neem was very effective against a thrip issue that arose. Did not need a third spraying.

Then the white flies moved in. We'll see how it works on them. Since it is supposed to mess with maturation and reproductive hormones in the bugs and their life cycle is 12 days I'm thinking that it will take at least three weekly treatments to begin seeing results.
Works on mites very well
by: Bay Area

I had terrible problems with mites. They killed every tomatoe plants I tried. Then I started using neem oil. It works miracles. I use 3 tbs per gallon and never a complaint about taste or odor. Key is, it must be on a regular schedule and in the evenings.
Whitefly schedule in Bahamas?
by: Janet

Jerry says he uses neem oil in his control of the white flies in the small lot in the Bahamas. That is my situation. How often, in what concentration and when should I apply the neem oil?
Neem oil
by: Anonymous

No, it doesn’t work on flies or ANY INSECT at all! I did as instructed when I saw a single white fly. After a week of treating with neem oil, there was an infestation. This is in a grow room where I keep my new plants before taking them outside. It’s now been a month and after 270$ spent on all sorts of pesticides, they are thriving! At this point, I’m just seasoning the plants for them. I give up. Screw this farming crap.
Duration to kill white flies with neem
by: jp

How long does it take neem oil to kill white flies on tomatoes? I sprayed them, then covered them with plastic clear bags.
Answers NEW
by: AnonymousDavid

I read a lot of questions but didn't see many answers.

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