White Flies are devastating to Ficus Trees, Shrubs & Hedges. They can destroy a lush hedge in a matter of days & kill the plants in a matter of weeks. Once private Pool decks & back yards now visible to anyone walking or driving by on the street can be attributed to the white fly. It can leave your ficus plants leafless & looking like it was winter in Vermont.
If you are lucky enough to save the trees in time, it will happen again next year just about the time you think they are filling in again. The nasty little devils are practically invisible & come back year after year unless you do something about it . . . but what can you do?
You can have a pest-control company spray & spray & spray or you can apply granules once a year as a surprisingly effective & simple preventive measure. The granules dissolve into the ground and are absorbed by the trees as food. The white flies don’t like the taste of the plants after they have been treated and move on to the next house. Be a good neighbor & share this information with your neighbors. You will look like a genius & they will thank you for it and the treatment will be more effective.
The remedy is a product known as “MERRIT” & you can find it at your local nursery, hardware store or home improvement store. I have found it at Home Depot and used it at the first sign of leaves dropping & have had very good success. Move quickly and save your investment.
