Mid-Sept. 2009: Ficus leaves are dropping in many communities. Confirmed ficus whitefly locations include: Sandpiper and Osprey; Tin City; Market & Commercial Blvd.; Mooring Line and 41 area; Sorrenta Villa (at Goodlette-Frank Road and Pompei Lane); Vanderbilt Beach Rd & I-75; 3rd Ave. NW; Whippoorwill Ln.; Whitaker –off County Barn Rd; 5000 block of Logan Blvd.; Yarberry Lane; and the north end of Nursery Lane.
More biology info at: http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/Singhiella%20simplex.html and our web site http://collier.ifas.ufl.edu/ has fact sheets on hedge species to consider if you want an alternative to ficus.
WHAT TO DO: See: : http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/Pests_HT.shtml more on pesticide options later
We need to be exacting in our dose calculations and chemical selection when applying soil-root drenches especially when we are dealing with miles of ficus hedges such as this one....plus this is a double whammy of tall and short hedge rows.
