Question
I always seem to have a lot of whiteflies in my vegetable garden.  How can I prevent them.  At this time, there is nothing in my garden.  Can I put something in the soil now or should I wait until I plant to control them.

Answer
Rita,

There's not much do to for whiteflies at this time of the year. The best strategy is to keep an eye on your plants early in the growing season and treat for whiteflies as soon as they start to become a problem. Check for honeydew on leaves then treat with insecticidal soap (see http://www.livingwithbugs.com/insecticidal_soap.html for info about using soaps). You may need to re-treat at weekly intervals but soap is both inexpensive and safe to use so this should not be a problem. The biggest mistake gardeners make with pests like whiteflies, spider mites and aphids is they wait too long to start treatments.

I hope this is useful. Post a follow up if you have questions.

Jack DeAngelis
http://www.livingwithbugs.com