Bumping this because I would like an answer. Does anyone use the Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub? I hate Bayer, honestly, I do, but I love this hibiscus and don't want it to die. It worries me that the Bayer thing lasts a year, because that means it may poison the flowers, which will poison the bees. I'm just at the end of my rope.

You could try mixing a few drops of dish soap and about a tsp of cooking oil in a hand sprayer. Shake it up and spray it on the under sides of the leaves when the white flies are gathered there. Oil might not be good if its over 80F. There are other recipes online.

Here is another recipe from the Farmer's Almanac. "

• Try this homemade mixture from the Almanac to control and deter whiteflies: In a 32-ounce spray bottle mix 2 parts rubbing alcohol, 5 parts water, and 1 tablespoon liquid soap. Spray the mixture on the foliage of garden plants that are susceptible to these pests."

I had a problem with whiteflies on a brugmansia. A fellow gardener advised that I just blast it with the hose, being sure to get the underside of the leaves. I was skeptical but followed her instructions and...surprise...it worked. It took about 10 days total, spraying a strong water stream about every other day, but the infestation disappeared and didn't return. This was a couple of years ago.

I'll have to buy a nozzle to spray it, because mine is MIA since I moved. I've tried the spraying for spider mites on brugs before, but it didn't do much good. This is a big infestation. I guess they were harboring themselves in the soil in the pot it was in. I tried to wash the roots, but may not have gotten them all. Anyway, I'm really sad about it. I was going to go buy a sprayer this weekend, but my son just messaged me that he needs money until a paycheck comes in, so no sprayer for me this week. I can afford a spray bottle, though. They're only $1.00.

Bayer Tree and shrub will work just try to apply when they are not flowering , early in the season is best .... The insecticide remains in the foliage and very little makes it thru the barrier at the flower.... thats the nuclear option...

The water spray trick is only effective if you do it every day or two for a few weeks and you have to hit every leaf top and bottom , Neem is effective but you need to spray every 3 days for 2 weeks to break the cycle

I had them on my bananas and I cut off some infected leaves, sprayed the rest with hort/neem mix. They are gone and have not returned.

I now spray the underside of the leaves with a water stream and then the oil mix a few days later and I have not had them return.

Thanks for all the great advice! Since I need to buy a sprayer anyway, I might as well just do the neem oil. I've tried the Murphy's Oil Soap mix I usually use for everything, but I think they feed on it, I really do. I found my nozzle, so I'll spray them off until I can get paid and get the other stuff.

I really don't mind using the nuclear option as long as it won't hurt the bees, because I don't have a lot of bees around here, mostly just a few native solitaries and some wasps. Thing is, that Bayer stuff travels through the soil and I have other blooming plants close to this one, so it would get into them too. I don't have enough pollinators to risk killing them. I haven't seen any honey bees at all, not even when the huge loquat bloomed. I think that's strange since there are so many trees, but who knows?