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Whitefly Infestation on Crepe Myrtle: Identification and Control

Crepe myrtle shows white eggs, small white worms, white delta-shaped flies, white soot, and sticky substance.

Diagnosis

Classic whitefly infestation. Nymphs suck plant juices, weakening plants. Honeydew excretion causes sooty mold. Leaves yellow, dry, drop prematurely.

Control

Contact insecticides (acephate, malathion, permethrin, bifenthrin) need 3+ applications weekly, covering both leaf sides. Systemic imidacloprid (Merit) or Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control (soil drench) provides season-long control as insects feed on treated sap.

Plant Diseases: Wilted Crepe Myrtle: Likely Root Rot, Not Bark Shedding; Controlling Aphids and Sooty Mold on Crape Myrtle; Crepe Myrtle with Sticky Leaves and Dead Branches: Honeydew and Sooty Mold; Diagnosing a Single Ailing Crepe Myrtle Among Healthy Ones; Seedling Crepe Myrtle Decline: Root Rot from Moisture Imbalance; Crepe Myrtle Yellow Leaf Drop: Cercospora Leaf Spot Management; Crape Myrtle with Reddish-Yellow Leaves: Possible Mycoplasma Disease; Cercospora Leaf Spot on Crepe Myrtle; Aphid Honeydew on Crepe Myrtles: The "Raining" Effect; Crape Myrtle Aphid Battle: Persistence Beats Sooty Mold Sprays

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