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Beech hedge infested with white fly

Beech hedge is 18' long & 6' high, our front boundry. Each year it has white fly, but this year it is absolutely covered. To extent that if people brush past on the pavement they are covered in them. We've blasted with hose, blasted with soapy water, no improvement. Does anyone know of a systemic treatment that I can water in? Don't fancy trying to spray that lot. 

The hedge was pruned well back last Autumn and won't take another haircut as of now.

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    Every year my beech hedge has white fly. Every year I leave it and the blue tits clear it.

    Encourage the blue tits.  Hang a fat block nearby.

  • Lupin 1Lupin 1 Posts: 8,916

    Thanks Fidget but I'd need the bluetits of all Yorks to sort this.

    We've fat balls. feeders and all sorts down the garden & a daft Magpie that dunks bread, thought we'd white fly drowned in bird bath, but putting specs on it was bits of bread...image

  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    This is something that happens to just about all beech hedges, beyond not looking very nice it does the hedge no harm at all.  If you want to do something about it, get the hose out and give it a good hard wash, which will remove a great deal of the whitefly.  My beech hedge is near my greenhouse so I have to close that up tight before I wash the hedge,  as in the hedge is one thing, but in the greenhouse is quite another. 

    You can hang those yellow sticky pads in the hedge too if you like, the aphids stick to those and when they are covered you can get rid of them.  However, as I said, it does the hedge no harm to speak of, just that sometimes we don't like it.  

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    I've got a lot more beech hedge than that, and the blue tits round here do the job. You'd be surprised how many they get through when they start.

  • Lupin 1Lupin 1 Posts: 8,916

    Right Fidget, fat balls it is. Will report back. Thanks.

  • I have a Beech hedge infested with white fly, 3 years ago the Harlequin lady birds moved in and cleared the lot, they swarmed one afternoon and left, it seemed like a miracle after years of gummed up hedge cutters and sticky shoes...However fast forward... this spring the white fly is back with a vegance!!
    I'll try the fat balls.
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