whitefly on Polka Dot Plant
Quick answer
If your Polka Dot Plant has whitefly, the most likely cause is: Small white flying insects congregating on polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) are adult whiteflies that settle on the soft new growth and leaf undersides of this tropical Acanthaceae sub-shrub, draining sap and leaving the foliage pale, limp, and sticky with honeydew where the broad, variegated leaves are easily infested.
Start here:
- 1. Quarantine the affected polka dot plant away from other houseplants so the winged adults do not migrate, and install yellow sticky traps near the foliage to catch the flying whiteflies before they can lay more eggs on the leaf undersides.
- 2. Spray the entire plant, including the undersides of every polka dot plant leaf, with a houseplant-labeled systemic insecticidal soap, repeating the treatment every seven to ten days until no new adults hatch and the leaf undersides stay clean.
Why Polka Dot Plant gets whitefly
Hypoestes phyllostachya
Small white flying insects congregating on polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) are adult whiteflies that settle on the soft new growth and leaf undersides of this tropical Acanthaceae sub-shrub, draining sap and leaving the foliage pale, limp, and sticky with honeydew where the broad, variegated leaves are easily infested.
How to reverse whitefly on Polka Dot Plant
- 1
Quarantine the affected polka dot plant away from other houseplants so the winged adults do not migrate, and install yellow sticky traps near the foliage to catch the flying whiteflies before they can lay more eggs on the leaf undersides.
- 2
Spray the entire plant, including the undersides of every polka dot plant leaf, with a houseplant-labeled systemic insecticidal soap, repeating the treatment every seven to ten days until no new adults hatch and the leaf undersides stay clean.
Keep whitefly off this Polka Dot Plant
Keep polka dot plant in bright filtered light, water it consistently without letting the soil cycle from bone dry to soggy, and inspect the leaf undersides weekly during the warm months so a whitefly outbreak is caught before the small flies cloud up from the canopy when the plant is disturbed.