Gauzy White Flies - Does anyone know how long neem oil lasts once it's been mixed?

Today I made the discovery that dozens of teeny tiny "gauzy white" flies were on my seedlings and lots more on the soil. I have never heard of any beneficial insect fitting this description, so I broke out my neem oil/peppermint soap mixture.

First, does anyone know of a pest that fits my description? Second, I have some neem oil mixture left and I wanted to know what sort of longevity it has. I put the left over amount in the refrigerator.

I had to make two cups of the mixture (mainly because I could not figure out how to make less... my math skills were not advanced enough to figure out the 1/16 of an ounce and 1/16 of a teaspoon necessary for just one cup).

I have to confess, I am terrified that the neem oil mixture I've sprayed will some how hurt my seedlings. I've babied them for so long! I did follow the directions exactly, I'm just paranoid.

Thanks for reading this all.

I am not sure, but I think they are called white flies. I had them last year and an old gardener told me to use yellow sticky traps. Some kind of yellow sheet material coated with a sticky substance. Apparently they are attracted to the color yellow. I did not use this method to get rid of them, but I can't remember what I used. Probably a soap spray. Sorry my brain cells no longer retain much.

Yolos, I got a chuckle when you said that these white flies are attracted to yellow. In light of the fact that all my seedlings are heavily dusted by yellow pine pollen, there's lots of yellow for these blasted flies to be attracted to. I'm joking of course, but seeing as how your just around the corner from me, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about with this awful pollen.

If the infestation is gauzy, it's probably mealy bugs, easily controlled with neem, per the label directions.

http://msgreenthumbwateringpot.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/house-plant-pests/

I have some organic neem I got from eBay a while back, and the directions say to use it within 4 hours after mixing.

In a fit of laziness I also bought some pre-made neem spray, used it once, and hated the smell so much I will never use it again even if it doesn't require mixing first. Not worth it. I'll stick with Dr. Bronner's and the other neem!

camprn wrote:If the infestation is gauzy, it's probably mealy bugs, easily controlled with neem, per the label directions.

http://msgreenthumbwateringpot.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/house-plant-pests/

Thanks so much for your effort in helping me figure out what kind of pest I have on my plants. After looking at the diagram, I think I have "white flies." I guess I misspoke when I wrote that my flies were "gauzy." I just meant that their wings seemed gauzy.... very delicate. Your help was perfect!

Coelli wrote:I have some organic neem I got from eBay a while back, and the directions say to use it within 4 hours after mixing.

In a fit of laziness I also bought some pre-made neem spray, used it once, and hated the smell so much I will never use it again even if it doesn't require mixing first. Not worth it. I'll stick with Dr. Bronner's and the other neem!

NEEM OIL LONGEVITY OF POTENCY

I also obtained some organic neem oil. I got it through Amazon, and it came directly from India in an amber bottle. No directions, just the label that it is "Neem Oil."

Regardless, I had heard that Neem Oil is extremely perishable when it comes to keeping its potency (I just didn't know if it lasted for hours, days, weeks, etc). Four hours? That IS a very short time indeed. Wow! I still have 10 oz left in my spray bottle. That's a shame.

"MICRO MEASUREMENTS"

I had a very hard time figuring out how to how to reduce my neem oil/peppermint liquid soap recipe from two quarts water to two cups water. My calculations got it down to 2 cups water, 1/8 ounce neem oil, and 1/8 teaspoon Dr. Bonner's soap. I would have liked it go down to 1 cup... but figuring out what 1/16 measurements are is just insane!

ON A VERY POSITIVE NOTE:

This morning I checked all of my seedlings and the white flies where completely gone! My plants were still very healthy looking, so the mist of neem oil last night did not harm them in any way. Yay!

Windmere wrote:This morning I checked all of my seedlings and the white flies where completely gone! My plants were still very healthy looking, so the mist of neem oil last night did not harm them in any way. Yay!

Great news! I don't have a lot of aphids (yet?) but man, do I have soil gnats..

After a PM discussion with a member regarding Fungus Gnats and White Flies, I thought I'd bump this old thread.

It is well documented that Neem Oil is very effective against pests such a White Flies, Aphids, Fungus Gnats, etc., but it must be properly used. Improperly used Neem Oil can/will damage the plants or beneficial insects.  The two primary ways Neem Oil is improperly used is, 1) Using too high Neem Oil to Water ratio, and 2) Using too much soap as the surfactant.  Too much Neem Oil in the water will burn the leaves of the plants, and too much soap in the water will clog the pores of the leaves preventing them from taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.


Both of these problems can be eliminated by using the correct Neem Oil, such as ones that are marked as Agricultural Neem Oil. Agricultural Neem Oil has the surfactant already added, and is water soluble without the addition of soap. Because it is water soluble, it is easy to correctly mix it at 1 tsp Neem Oil to one quart of water, shake and spray.


There are several brands of Agricultural Neem Oil available, both locally and on-line.  The one I use is Harris Neem Oil which is available at the local Tractor Supply Store, where an 8 oz bottle which makes 12 gallons of spray is available for around $10.00.  Just make sure the brand you buy says "Water Soluble" on the label.



My purpose for bumping this thread is to say don't be afraid to use Neem Oil for pest control, but be sure to use it properly:

• Properly mix it so that the ratio of Neem Oil to Water is not more than 1 tsp per quart of water.
  
• Don't spray when pollinators are on the plants, or during the heat of the day.  Only spray very early morning, or late in the evening.
  
• Use an Agricultural Neem Oil vs a cosmetic grade Neem oil.
  
• For active infestations of pests, be prepared to re-spray every 3 days until pests are eliminated. As a preventive measure it can be sprayed every 2 weeks.
  
• Consider using a Neem Oil Soil Drench to provide plants systemic insecticide if there are recurring outbreaks of pests.
  

This is the Agricultural Neem Oil I buy at Tractor Supply Company