Ft. Lauderdale Trying To Stop Spreading White Fly
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - The city of Fort Lauderdale is stepping up efforts to battle the rugose spiraling whitefly that is spreading around the city's foliage.
Park workers are targeting the pest, drenching the roots of trees in common areas, with a powerful pesticide. The rugose spiraling whitefly leaves a white waxy film on the leaves of trees including gumbo limbo, black olive and palm trees.
Walter Carreiro, who lives in the Rio Vista section of Fort Lauderdale, says he knew something was wrong with his white bird of paradise in the front yard when he saw what he thought was some type of mildew on the long flat leaves.
"The leaves were plain white, not green anymore," he said. "It's the first time in 73 years I've ever had a problem with this tree."
He started using a pesticide to fight the flies before they spread to his prized orchids in his backyard. Getting rid of the pest is a lot trickier when it involves small delicate plants.
Unlike the ficus white fly, which destroyed tons of ficus hedges in South Florida over the past few years, this breed of white fly is not deadly to plants but it can strip trees of leaves and cause an unsightly mess.
Fort Lauderdale's urban forester says he's talked to other Broward cities and the fly is popping up in Pompano Beach, Pembroke Pines and Davie.
"Overall it's more of a nuisance but don't panic, there are things you can do," said forester Gene Dempsey.
Pesticides which fight the fly can be found at many home improvement stores.
The city of Fort Lauderdale is alerting civic and neighborhood associations about the problem and inviting them to call on the urban forester to provide guidance for fighting the spiraling whitefly.
