Whiteflies are beatable. Takes vigilance but beatable.
Insecticidal soap will get rid of them without the harshness of detergents or chemicals.
It's made from potassium fatty acids. It's pretty cheap too.
I wouldn't use household or dish soap.
LMFAO. Really? "Beatable"? How nice you googled that up. Now welcome to the real world.
To make insecticidal soap actually get even close to
beating white flies. You
should apply it by hand to every leaf, everyday, and only when it's cool and not in direct sunlight. Don't forget the bottom of the leaves! 3-4 week minimum to even control the white flies this way...
I've run a
large commercial (flower/tropical) greenhouse operation. White flies are the bane of growers existence!
THE most difficult pest to control, let alone attempt to eliminate.
I've had to live through an infestation. Isolation of the effected area of the GH. The use of White Fly parasites (
Encarsia formosa and
Eretmocerus eremicus) to gain control and certain pesticides to really help gain control and maybe elimination with a several pronged attack.
BotaniGuard WP (Organic)
and
Orthene 97 (Acephate 97 UP)
Used as a one 2 punch, by alternating the weeks treatment for 3 weeks (along with eliminating deeply infected plants) Now keep in mind we had also had plenty of the 2 parasites released (Shit ton in the uneffected area of the GH to prevent infestation from spreading)...This took a month to clear and the plant loss count was high...
I would rather get root aphids!
That plant is toast! Way to beaten up by the infestation to even produce an acceptable harvest. Not to mention the crap left on the plant. Including bug remains, honeydew and eggs.
SCRAP THAT PLANT!
Find where that infestation was sourced. If you can, treat that to continue outside next year..... I strongly suggest you skip outside in that area and move to a controlled space indoors. Be sure you go in that space -
Clean! Do not handle any outside plants or work outside before you enter your MM garden space!
White flies are not a "minor" thing!
Good luck - OP