Spiraling Whitefly infestation in South Florida
We have lost count of pools under our care that have been affected by this pest. Here at Aqua Buddy we have seen an increase in complaints about pool conditions only to find that these complaints are being brought about by effects of the Spiraling Whitefly infestation. Many homeowners and property managers are being very proactive about hiring pest control and they are right on target to do so.
Here is a small list of things that may help contain the effects of the Whiteflies in your swimming pool:
- Hire pest control or perform pest control yourself. -There are many professionals ready to help you with the right treatment for your infestation. There is also a range of do-it-yourself pest control stores that have a selection of treatments for the Spiraling Whitefly. The most important thing is that all parts in the trees are treated: from the leaves to the roots. If your neighbors have whitefly and they do not treat it, it is likely that your backyard and trees will continue to be affected, EVEN after you treat your trees.
- Watch chlorine and stabilizer levels closely – We advise keeping the chlorine and stabilizer levels a bit higher than usual in order to keep the pools from turning green and to keep them sanitized regardless of the pest. To quote a homeowner who services their own pool: “I dump 2.5 gls of chl and a tab in both the floater and the skimmer on Friday. Chl is 0 on Monday”. Our maintenance technicians and other professionals have experienced the very same results. The chlorine and stabilizer are ‘disappearing’. The solution: Use TRI-CHLOR (trichloroacetic acid). AQUA BUDDY technicians prefer to use the powder version of this chemical. It is a strong chemical which will help attack the honeydew in the pool and will help maintain the sanitizer level a bit higher than usual. For pools that have been largely affected we use both liquid chlorine and TRI-CHLOR.
- Clean the pool filter more often. – On regular sized residential swimming pools, AQUA BUDDY changed the schedule for washing the filters to every week. This helps keep filter unclogged and flow at its maximum. We have also advised homeowners to wash the filter once in between our visits. This doesn’t require soaking the cartridges in harsh chemicals, it is simply a helping hand in the honeydew control.
- Be patient, but proactive – It is true, the Whiteflies are an infestation, a true pest and they WILL NOT GO AWAY BY THEMSELVES! Leave the denial den and come into the reality road where these whiteflies are NOT seasonal. The pest control usually takes a few weeks to take full effect, but it will work if it is kept up. Try to schedule regular tree trimming, pest control and make sure your pool service company knows how to treat this problem in your swimming pool
- CALL AQUA BUDDY to ask for an estimate to maintain your swimming pool. We will be more than happy to help you with your swimming pool through this pest and beyond!
