how certain are you of the ID???? .. they arent midges.. gnats.. or anything else ????? .. and what impact are they actually having on the plants ...

and what do you plan to do with the plants.. dry them.. or use them green ...

never heard of worm castings and flies.. hmmmm

ken

Your description sounds like whitefly behavior, but being certain of the ID is important. I don't know of anything that can be mistaken for whitefly.......IF you know what they look like.

Adult whitefly are not likely to be found on the underside of the leaves.....they flit up in a little flurry of pure white wings at the slightest disturbance. What you need to learn to recognize and look for are the nymphs of the whitefly. These are little flat discs, translucent in color. Nearly immobile, their presence is a sure sign of a whitefly population.

Though worm castings can result in measurable results in the control of sucking insects, it takes weeks, even months before the plants can benefit from what worm castings bring. You'll need to bring other organic control measures in the meantime.

ANYTHING you use must be directed to the underside of the foliage rather than sprayed over the top. I suggest commercial insecticidal soap with a tiny bit of vinegar in the water. Neem oil can also be helpful. Its effects won't be immediate, either. Neem acts as a growth regulator on sucking insects.

Perhaps this article about Whiteflies will be of some help.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Whiteflies

Thank you all for your responses. I could not figure out how to reply to each of you specifically so I'm doing a blanket response. KEN - I have not noticed any impact on the plants and I use the herbs for culinary purposes, sometimes fresh but mostly dried depending on the herb/dish. RHIZO 1 - Thank you for your suggestion and application advice. I appreciate that it is safe for herbs and I wondered myself about the use of vinegar! KIMMSR - THANKS for that link! The pictures were a huge help. One common questions was am I sure they are whiteflies. No I am not but after receiving your responses, I went out this morning with my camera and ran my hand over the plants...nothing happened! I did it again..nothing, so I shook the plants a little harder an out flew some white flies. Had a hard time getting the buggers to pose for the camera but finally got won ham out of the bunch. Also, tried to look at the bottom of the leaves for any other signs but I could not see/find any other indications of pest as "rhizo" described or the link from "kimmsr". Also some of these bugs seem to have a very slight green tint to them. I've only moved to Texas from the east coast 7 yrs ago. And each year there is a new "plague" of bugs we are invaded by. This summer it was grasshoppers as long as my finger and fly! I thought this white fly was the Sweet Potato type but after zooming in on it, I'm not sure what is is.

I'm sorry that I confused the issue by mentioning the vinegar. Insecticidal soaps work far better in acid solution. We can accomplish that very easily by adding some vinegar to the water used to mix with the finished product. A rule of thumb is to use about 3 - 4 tablespoons per gallon of water.

I'm not convinced that you've got whitefly. I'm wondering, assuming that this all started with a grape vine, if you haven't been seeing grape leafhoppers. That's what your picture looks like to me; I could be oo base. Do a quick google for grape leafhopper images to compare. Report back, okay?

i clean what i use in the kitchen.. just under running water.. or submergence ... and some hand washing ...

let me put it this way.. i would rather consider eating a bug.. than eating a bug remedy .. organic or not ...think of it as extra protein .. lol ... and dont even get me going about thinking about worm poop all over what i am eating...

and .. 99% of the time.. the plant doesnt have to be 100% pretty.. to be effective .. so i would give up a little perfection.. to avoid the remedies ... i guess its a mind set ...

and yes.. that is the problem with tiny bugs.. you cant get a pic if your life depended on it.. lol ... but it is useless to suggest remedies.. for the wrong pest ...

your pic sure looks like a moth .. but i am not an ID expert ... though if it were green.. a leafhopper would come to my addled brain

good luck

ken

ps: i deal with replies this way:

you said: I could not figure out how to reply

===>>> and after the arrow i add my thought to what you said immediately prior ....

Here is a link that might be useful: WAGuess

"...and dont even get me going about thinking about worm poop all over what i am eating... "

ROTFLMBO!

That pic is certainly not a whitefly. I think rhizo nailed it with grape leafhopper.

tj

Vinegar and insect soap. Learn something new every day.

Yeah, I think it's the leaf hopper, the more I look at it. Tsuga, many products work better in an acid-y solution. Insecticidal soap is high on that list.

KEN..LOVE your humor!!! But now you have me thinking ewwww..my herbs are now surrounded by poop!! I just wasn't thinking straight when I was desperate to get rid of what I thought was whiteflies. RHIZO..you may be right but I'm still not sure. My pic was zoomed in and cropped to get more detail. From the naked eye, it's a tiny white fleck, I certainly didn't see those spots on it. Though it does resemble some of the pics posted for grape leafhoppers. So far what I've read doesn't state the hoppers fly. Nor am I noticing any of their damage on my plants. However, the neighbors grape looking vines they came from look infested or diseased by something. Still just hoping my plants are safe to harvest for culinary use. I'll do some more research...after the Yankees game :)

Oh well..win some, lose some. I do think RHIZO hit a homerun on the leafhopper. Ironically, oregano is suppose to be a deterrent. But there are posts regarding oregano, rosemary, sage and mint being attacked by these buggers. RHIZO, will your solution work against these pests?? Thanx all for your input!

Yes, insecticidal soaps will help with the leaf hopper population. Again, the product needs to be directed to the underside of the leaves and the interior of the plant. Horticultural soaps wash off cleanly, no fear on that regard.

I wouldn't bother spraying if you are only seeing occasional hoppers. Save it for the bad infestations. Spray in the evening so that the product won't evaporate so quickly....the insect has to come into contact with the wet solution.

congrats rhiz.. apparently no one bothered to hit my link .. lol ...

OP said: I just wasn't thinking straight when I was desperate to get rid of what I thought was whiteflies.

==>>> yeah.. been there.. frankly .. if you harvested a few sprigs ... and just shook them rather violently ... you would have been rid of the problem for harvest ... and so what if you bruised it a bit .. isnt that the point for use ...

next time ... just take a deep breath .. and look to see if there is any actually HARMFUL damage ... if not.. so what ... ignore them.. even a little damage.. so what???

now if your few grasshoppers turn into a plague of locusts.. then its time for a reaction ...

anyway.. worm poop is compost.. so what .. i was exaggerating ... i raised my kids eating dirt.. so they are the healthiest kids around ... a little compost never hurt anyone ... [not that i would go eating handfuls of it.. but it probably qualifies as roughage.. lol] relax next time..

ken

yeah i know.. easier said than done..