My Florida Pest Control

Rugose Spiraling Whitefly waxy spiral

What are the symptoms of Rugose Spiraling Whitefly infestation?

1. Wilted, Unhealthy Leaves

Are your trees or plants looking unhealthy? Do you see wilted leaves, stunted growth, dropping fronds, or yellowing? These are a few of the warning signs that may point to a spiraling whitefly infestation. When spiraling whiteflies feed off the underside of your plants, their needle-like mouths steal the nutrients needed to maintain healthy foliage, so unhealthy leaves may be the first sign you notice.

This is the second of ten articles from a Complete Guide to the Rugose Spiraling Whitefly: 10 Things You Need to Know about this New Florida Pest, a free eBook.

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You may have seen a horsefly, a dragonfly, and a housefly. You may even have seen an elephant fly (with his big ears). But have you ever seen a whitefly?

What Is a Whitefly?

Whiteflies, like their cousins aphids, cicadas, and leafhoppers, belong to the order Hemiptera (heh-MIP-ter-uh). Hemipterans have special mouths that allow them to pierce the skins of plants and feed on the juices inside.

This is the first of ten articles from a Complete Guide to the Rugose Spiraling Whitefly: 10 Things You Need to Know about this New Florida Pest, a free eBook.

There are over 75 species of whitefly in Florida, but our focus will be on the newest immigrant: the Rugose Spiraling Whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus), or just spiraling whitefly for short.

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A new pest has moved into Florida from Central America. It feeds on common Florida plants like palms, fruit trees, seagrapes, bird of paradise, gumbo-limbo, wax myrtle, and hundreds of others.

We’ve talked to homeowners who first see wilted, yellowing leaves in their landscaping. Below the leaves they find a black, sooty mold collecting on walkways, driveways, pool decks, mailboxes, and cars. On closer inspection, they find underneath the leaves a white, waxy substance and small, moth-like bugs sucking the life out of their plants.

If you find the same signs in your yard, what should you do? Start spraying pesticides? Chop off the affected branches? Hold on! You can save your plants, put down the sprayers, and get rid of this pest in a way that keeps your family and pets safe.

The first thing you should do is learn about this new bug. And you’re in luck, because we’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know! It’s called the Complete Guide to the Rugose Spiraling Whitefly: 10 Things You Need to Know about this New Florida Pest, and it’s available to download for free.

Get all 11 tips right now in our free eBook

We hope you enjoyed our latest series of blog posts about making your grass greener and keeping your lawn healthy!

We know how frustrating maintaining a lawn can sometimes be. You try to take care of your lawn so your family can enjoy it, but sometimes Mother Nature has her own agenda!

We can help! We wrote these tips show you how to identify the most common problems you can encounter when trying to keep your lawn healthy and green:

1. Start with a Healthy, Green Lawn
2. Florida Irrigation: How Much Should I Water My Lawn?
3. Common Broadleaf Weeds That Invade Your Lawn
4. Crabgrass and Goosegrass: Grassy Weeds
5. Sedge Weeds in Your Lawn
6. Chinch Bugs Causing Brown Lawn Spots?
7. Sod Webworms in Your Lawn?
8. Lawn Grubs Causing Brown Spots?
9. Gray Leaf Spot on Grass
10. Do You Have Brown Spots on Your Lawn?
11. Three Tips for Better Shrub Care

You can read each tip as a blog article, or you can download them all in one convenient free eBook: 11 Tricks to Make Sure Your Grass Is Always Greener.

South Florida is fortunate to have beautiful weather which allows many homeowners to grow lush, decorative and ornamental shrubs. These outdoor “accessories” for your house make a statement and should complement your perfect, green lawn.

This is the last of 11 Tricks to Make Sure Your Grass Is Always Greener, a free eBook.

For successful shrub growth and maintenance, keep these essentials in mind:

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There’s a fungus lurking, waiting to destroy your lawn. This fungus is known by many names. Its most obvious one is “Brown Patch Disease,” which is a descriptive name. It’s also known as “Large Patch” or by its scientific name, “Rhizoctonia Blight.”

This is the tenth of 11 Tricks to Make Sure Your Grass Is Always Greener, a free eBook. We’ll be posting a new trick on this blog every other week.

The most frequent victim of this fungus is the St. Augustine grass that is common in Florida lawns. Unfortunately, Brown Patch Disease can also affect several varieties of warm-season turf grass.

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Gray Leaf Spot on St. Augustine grass. Courtesy of Flickr user Lane Tredway.

Gray Leaf Spot disease is caused by a fungus and requires special fungicides for treatment. You’re most likely to notice Gray Leaf Spot disease during the wettest months of the year. The rain and high humidity create the perfect environment for this fungus to flourish.

This is the ninth of 11 Tricks to Make Sure Your Grass Is Always Greener, a free eBook. We’ll be posting a new trick on this blog every other week.

Gray Leaf Spot is a perfect name for this disease because it describes exactly what you should look for. If affected, you’ll notice your blades of grass will have a discoloration of a gray circle, often surrounded by a dark green ring. Usually the spot is circular or oval. As the fungus spreads through the grass, the entire blade changes color as the spots merge together.

The best way to avoid Gray Leaf Spot disease is to water your lawn at the appropriate time of day. Set your sprinkler system for the early morning, so the grass will dry quickly. Evening waterings often leave the grass wet for too long and invite the fungus to take root.

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This is the eighth of 11 Tricks to Make Sure Your Grass Is Always Greener, a free eBook. We’ll be posting a new trick on this blog every other week.

Do you have thin grass that turns yellow? Is the grass too soft and spongy? Can you pull it out easily without the roots clinging to the soil?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, it could be a sign of a grub worm problem. Here’s how to test for these lawn pests:

1. Cut a square-foot piece of sod on 3 sides, so you can lift it up like a flap (your cut should be about two inches down.)
2. Lift the grass for a look at the bugs underneath.

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Sod webworm. Courtesy of Flickr user WallTea.

This is the seventh of 11 Tricks to Make Sure Your Grass Is Always Greener, a free eBook. We’ll be posting a new trick on this blog every other week.

Worms aren’t usually a threat to a lawn. Most worms can live in harmony with the rest of the tiny creatures in your grass. Unfortunately, some worms are less kind.

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Chinch bug and nymphs. Courtesy of University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

This is the sixth of 11 Tricks to Make Sure Your Grass Is Always Greener, a free eBook. We’ll be posting a new trick on this blog every other week.

If you’ve noticed that your lawn is spotted with patches of brown, even when the grass is being adequately watered, you might have a chinch bug problem. These hungry pests feed on your grass, creating dead areas where the infestation exists.

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