This is a warning to artists to not bring home Poinsettias if you keep tropical Bonsai Trees. Aleyrodidae – Whiteflies love Poinsettias and if you buy one you can bet it is going to have Whiteflies on it. This happened to me in my first year of Bonsai. I had numerous tropical trees in my plant room and I brought home a couple Poinsettias and soon afterword the Whiteflies showed themselves on my trees. My mother broke her hip in late Oct. and I spent the next 3 1/2 months taking care of her before I went home. My plant room was over run by Whiteflies, my neighbor was trying to kill them for me but she had no luck. I tried killing them to and also failed in my effort. The trees were in horrible shape and a few were dead! I finally ordered a really strong systemic insecticide (Kontos) and that finally killed them off. One of my Bonsai friends was complaining about Whiteflies on his indoor trees and he did not how or where they came from? I asked him if the wife brought home some Poinsettias and he said yes. Well he knows now where they came from, not sure what he did after that? Going to have to ask him!

Photo courtesy of Hearts Pest Management. Poinsettia photo courtesy of CBS News.

A pair of silverleaf whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci, which measure about one-tenth of an inch long, feed on a watermelon leaf.