Pesticide-resistant whitefly discovered in south Florida garden

For the first time, a pesticide-resistant whitefly has been discovered outdoors in the U.S.

In April, landscapers spraying flowers and shrubs in a south Florida garden discovered the Q-biotype whitefly that carries crop-destroying viruses, according to news reports.

The pest is considered a serious threat to tomatoes, beans, squash, melons and other crops.

The discovery in manicured gardens in Palm Beach County follows the whitefly's first appearance more than 10 years ago inside an Arizona retail nursery, according to the report.

Since 2005, authorities have found the whitefly in nearly 24 states but only in greenhouses, according to the report.

Since the Florida sighting, whiteflies have been discovered in more than 40 other locations throughout the state in homes, wholesale nurseries and in stores.

Being outdoors accelerates the difficulty in controlling the whiteflies.

Scientists may never be able to fully exterminate the pest, Lance Osborne, a University of Florida professor of entomology, said in the story.

Whiteflies' pesticide resistance is what distinguishes the strain, Osborne said at a recent growers meeting in Homestead, Fla.

The best single treatment available destroys 91% of them without multiple applications, he said at the meeting.

The insects can also spread more than 100 diseases.

The diseases weaken plants and make fruits and vegetables inedible.