Consumer Services

Fig Whitefly on the Move

An enemy to Florida's ficus trees and hedges is establishing roots in South Florida and devastating landscapes. The Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension is reporting a significant increase in resident calls about the spread of fig whitefly infestation. New signs of the infestation have been spotted in the Cutler Bay area, and the pest seems to be moving farther south.

The adult whitefly, which resembles a white gnat, lays its eggs only on ficus plants. Its young feed on the leaves of ficus trees and ficus hedges, resulting in leaf yellowing, defoliation and in some cases plant death. Ficus, besides being a popular canopy tree, is also commonly used as a hedge in South Florida. Infestation has now affected most of Miami-Dade County, in addition to Broward, Palm Beach and the Lake Worth area.

There are remedies people can take to protect their plants. The Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension provides information on whitefly treatments to overcome the effects of defoliation as well as prevent future infestations. In addition to whitefly facts, the website (http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/Pests_HT.shtml) also provides a list of alternative plants to ficus. Find out which homeowner products are available and what commercial products you can apply if you have long ficus hedges and many ficus trees.

Other helpful online resources include:
Ornamental Plants Commonly Used as Hedges in South Florida
Low-maintenance Landscape Plants for South Florida
Trees / Shrubs / Hedges

For further assistance, call the Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension office at
305-248-3311.

The Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department, which manages the Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension together with the University of Florida, urges consumers to use caution before signing contracts with companies that promise to treat the whitefly problem with pesticides. Not all treatments work. Know the facts before signing a contract with a business that may be trying to take your money.

To contact the Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department, call 305-375-3677 or visit the website at www.miamidade.gov/csd.

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