Has anyone else got the new whitefly that attacks crotons and firebush? Yeah, it's working its way through my yard, with pretty predictable results in the hedge - a croton is decimated and then recovers and then another one goes down.
And this fly seems to also attack gardenia, but hasn't killed it. I've also got it all over a bunch of other things, including a couple palms that seem to be surviving, but are drowning the plants below them in the sooty mold.
Then there are the tomatoes. No bugs. No problems. Planted right next to a firebush covered in this mess.
I realize that other climate issues may be to blame, but this is the most bug-free year I've ever had with tomatoes. And we haven't had a cold spell yet that might kill some bugs. It's been unusually warm and wet down here in zone 10, perfect bug climate. But no bugs.
Is it possible that the new whitefly is sucking the life out of the other bugs, the ones that eat my tomatoes?