Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi All,
I have the usual problem with white fly in the greenhouse and on the brassicas. Have tried hoovering in the greenhouse and worked to some extent but I remember hearing about using untreated raw milk as a spray which works by the enzymes in the milk killing the whitefly. Has anyone tried this? I now have a source of raw milk nearby but was wondering will my greenhouse smell of sour milk for ever and a day if I try it and does it work?
Hilary

Would be nice to find a solution ( ) to this

Clouds of the damn things have been attacking the brassicas for months. I have sprayed four times using two different insecticides, to no avail in either case.

Prior to that I had tried using diluted washing up liquid. Had to guess dilution rates so probably wasn't strong enough to be effective

Hi Hilary - I've heard that too? Won't do any harm if diluted but may smell a wee bit. Give it a go on 1/2 of the crops maybe & let us know! No access to raw milk for me, but kind of recall something about powdered milk as well!

Hmm! You've created a bit of research for me - I'm always engulfed in white fly!

Westi

Westi wrote:Hmm! You've created a bit of research for me - I'm always engulfed in white fly!

Westi

Offers to go spray Westi with powdered milk, and I might as well treat the crops whilst there

I've removed this post

and I've edited this one

Mr Pawty and I were sat in the pub garden a week or so ago (late afternoon) and a swarm of white fly came over. I figured that either they had been harvesting the brassicas in the local farm or someone was nicking my kale from the lotty not far away!

We've had so much white fly this year. To be honest, they don't appear to cause too much damage - more of a nuisance so haven't tried to remove them.

Pawty

eeeew, some of my sprouts are covered in whiteflies sticky honeydew secretion. In time this secretion seems to go black and if not dealt with the plant loses vigour and the sprouts become inedible

All,
Since there appears to be no evidence that this will work I will experiment on everyone's behalf and report back!!
Perhaps the smell of sour milk will put the mice off from the greenhouse !
Off to buy the milk this morning - will try outside first then pray for rain so it washes off the leaves. Beginning to suspect there is a very good reason why no one has tried this in the past .......

Thanks for all your comments!

Pa snip,

Thanks for that - I didn't realise they left secretion on the plants (never looked into white fly before). Some of my kale do have small blacks spots on them, which washes off. I had assumed it was some sort of mildew, but white fly makes sense. I just worry how about how to remove them - literally millions, so Hilary, I will be very interested to see the results of your experiment!

Pawty

Is it time for a whitefly apocalypse now

Could this be a revelation, will there be a exodus or will there be lamentations over the result

We await the judges report

Did my research!

Not milk that comes up so that must be for something else. Anyway it is garlic. Crush up one whole garlic bulb, not just a clove whole thing, mix it in a gallon of water and keep it in sunny or warm spot for 2 - 3 weeks. Then strain it & store in a dark place. To make the spray - 1 cup of the garlic water, a squirt of washing up liquid & spray away. Apparently they don't like it & the ones that survive the actual spray move off. I reckon I'd just pulverise the garlic in water in a blender & not muck around with the 3 weeks in the sun.

Westi

Coming soon to a supermarket near you, just in time for Christmas.

Available on the stalk at inflated prices, Garlic Brussel Sprouts.

Believe me, they are going to fly out the shops.

Hmm Pa?? Could be on to something there - that could be delicious stir fried!

Westi