What are the Little White Bugs in South Florida?

The little white bugs you might find in your Palm Beach County Florida landscaping plants and palm trees are more than likely either Mealybugs or Whiteflies, both of which are treatable by our West Palm Beach lawn and ornamental pest control company.

Mealybugs are tiny, wingless pests that appear as moving white scales on the affected host plant. Where whiteflies look more like tiny moths with wings. It may be hard to distinguish mealybugs from whitefly larvae, or nymphs, before they become mature but a closer look will reveal exactly which pest you are dealing with. Large numbers of tiny white insects clumped around new palm frond shoots or the underside of leaves are more than likely to be whitefly larvae.

Both these nuisance pests feed by sucking out the vital nutrients in ornamental plants and palm trees, which can lead to serious damage and even kill the host plant. They are sometimes well hidden and can attack palm fronds, plant leaves, stems, and more. Whiteflies have many different species, some of which are particularly fond of Ficus plants and palm trees. It is essential to catch these infestations early before they permanently damage your expensive landscaping and trees.

For infestations of whiteflies in Coconut and other palm tree species in Palm Beach County Florida, Arborjet tree injections are currently the best treatment to save your trees. Our locally owned and operated company has trained pesticide professionals that have been treating Jupiter, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach palm trees with Arborjet tree injections for spiraling white flies for decades. And unlike pesticide sprays or soil soaks, Arborjet tree injections put the insecticide inside the palm tree which limits impacting the environment and is safe for you and your pets.

If mealybugs are the problem, you may have a few eco-friendly remedies at your disposal. Mixtures of neem oil, dish soap and water have been known to repel mealy bugs, especially before they develop a hard wax accumulation. Our logo is a lady bug beetle, which is a natural predator of mealybugs and other lawn pests. But for heavily infested areas and persistent problems, it might be wise to call in a professional lawn pest control service.

*It should also be noted that Whiteflies are becoming immune to the natural and chemical pesticide products that lawn fertilization and pest control companies have been using, making us have to try and stay ahead of the game with new and different products recommended by the University of Florida.