Featured Article

Controlling Whiteflies and Other Garden Pests
It's As Magical as Waving a Wand!
by Sara Pentz

Gardeners throughout the world have fought off pesky pests for centuries in order to grow beautiful flowering plants and lush vegetables. Chemical sprays helped rid gardens of the critters for a while. Even organic brews have been concocted to vanquish the vermin.

According to Sunset Western Garden Book , aphids damage a wide variety of plants by piercing the leaves and stems, then sucking out plant juices. Some aphids also transmit viral diseases. Mealy bugs and whiteflies attack both indoor and outdoor plants, and are troublesome in warm-winter areas. They suck plant juices, causing stunting and, in some cases, kill the plant. Of the many kinds of mites, some are host specific, such as clover and citrus bud mites. Others, namely spider mites, attack a variety of outdoor and indoor plants (especially roses) by sucking plant juices.

Additionally, a recent study by the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of California, Riverside, CA, studied side-by-side comparisons with several pesticides indicated that the use of a strong stream of water directed to the undersides of infested leaves (syringing) "...performed as well or better than chemical treatments." The study recommends syringing at least once a week with high whitefly population, then once every two or three weeks as populations decrease. Sunset Western Garden Book also recommends hitting both sides of leaves of infested plants.

Syringing solves the #1 problem of whiteflies for Southern California gardeners. Syringing annihilates the sticky white flys residue from the underside of the leaves and blasts the whiteflies from mid-air as they try to escape. "After only one application, the syringing devastates the whitefly's life cycle from egg to moth," explains O'Donnell, a licensed landscape contractor. "With only a few additional treatments, plants regain complete health. Syringing is probably the easiest, most environmentally sound method of eradicating the creatures of the world who feast on our luscious vegetation."

Using a concentrated wall of water covers areas of the vegetation where even the best chemicals can not reach, blasting pests from the underside and tops of leaves while cleaning sooty mold and dirt from all angles. Syringing also works equally well for rejuvenating and cleaning both indoor and outdoor plants. Syringing systematically eliminates the constant threat of pests on your ornamentals, vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Using it will keep your reputation for having a green thumb intact.

No one has found an easier way to wipe out those devilish demons than Southern California master gardener Patrick O'Donnell, who invented the mighty Bug Blaster for that purpose. I have used it myself under many different and unusual conditions, and it manages bug infestations better than any other product I've found on the market. After experimenting with the size, shape and configuration of the nozzle sprayer, I found this final version to be the most effective."

It's so easy; even a small child can use it! In fact, the Bug Blaster wand sprayer is simply attached to the common garden hose with an unusually designed nozzle that creates a 360-degree wall of water. Imagine cleansing your green treasures with H2O. Novel as it is, this garden sprayer effectively controls aphids, whiteflies, mealy bugs and spider mites for gardeners.

Here's how it works: Aim the spray from the Bug Blaster in a vertical direction using a sweeping motion as you work the nozzle in and out of the shrub, and concentrating the spray on the infected portion of the plant. Control the water flow with the easy-to-use valve at the base of the handle. Spray plants from the top and then from the bottom. For delicate plants, you merely restrict the flow; for hardy plants or heavy infestation, just blast away! It's as easy as waving a magic wand!

The Bug Blaster, www.thebugblaster.com , is 100% environmentally safe and provides the most effective non-toxic control of garden pests. For those who elect not to use pesticides because they present a potential risk to children, pets and even to the plants they are supposedly protecting, the Bug Blaster offers gardeners an inexpensive, user friendly option. Additionally, the Bug Blaster saves time - no more measuring, mixing or rinsing toxic chemicals.

The patent pending Bug Blaster is 70 percent successful on adult whiteflies and up to 100 percent on infant pests or larval stages. It also dislodges most eggs. After one application, the device eliminates colony take over.