Question
Hello Vito,

I'm hoping that you can help me. I've had my beauiful yellow allamanda for two years now. It grows in the pot and I keep it inside during winter (I live in Michigan) and then take it outside during the summer. Last year, around April, I noticed white tiny flies flying off my bush when I touched it or watered it...I got some over-the-counter sprays from home depot (Garden Safe Insecticidal soap) but it didn't seem to do much good. Finally, I decided to take it outside (by then it was warm enough) and kept washing the leaves off with the hose and then cut back the branches a lot. They plant did not look well, the leaves were getting brown and falling down. Somehow, that procedure helped, the allamanda grew back healthy. It was healthy until recently, when I noticed the annoying flies again! I'm not sure what do with it. I belive they are citrus whiteflies from the info I could gather from the internet. Is there anything you could recommend to get rid off these awful pests? I would hate to lose my beautiful plant.

Thank you in advance.
Iza

Answer
Hi Iza,

Yes, your allamanda has an infestation of white fly. The only thing that will do them in is continuous spraying until you have completely erradicated them. It may help to place the plant in a large dry cleaners bag the next time you spray, this will keep the white fly from escaping as you apply the spray. Let it stay in the bag (out of the sun) for a few hours then remove it. You may have to repeat this procedure a few times over a period of weeks.

Good Luck.

Vito