I have these microscopic white mites or flies on a basil plant bought from Home Depot. The basil was placed in a spot where previously an ivy with little brown scales had lived. The scales had generated a sticky sap that created a sticky mess in the area around it. Is there a way to get rid of them? I suspect these mites/flies are moving on to the rosemary plant next to the basil.
When you describe the pests on your basil as 'microscopic', I presume you mean that they are very small, not that you can see them only under a microscope. With problems like this, a photo is always useful . . . in the meantime, I don't think it would do any harm to spray the leaves thoroughly with water at a high-enough velocity to dislodge the pests. If your plant is still in a pot you could even submerge the leaves in a sink-full of tepid water and swish it around gently. Hopefully you are not dealing with the mobile stage of scales but when you speak of a 'sticky sap' it makes me wonder if aphids could be the problem. In any a case, a good close-up photo or two would probably help others more knowledgeable than me to diagnose what is really afflicting your basil.
Thanks, Margot. Please see the attached photos. The creatures emit a sticky coating onto the leaves, fyi.
Those little white bugs definitely do look like aphids. Have you looked on the underside of the leaves? Often you will find more insects under than above. There are a number of websites that explain in detail how to deal with this problem so I won't try to summarize here. One good site I found is: A Fine Sprayer can Save Your Basil Plants from Aphids - HowtoGarden.ie I like the idea of mixing a little dish soap (not detergent) with water to smother the aphids. Here is a good site to explain more about how to do that: How to Use Household Dish Soap to Control Aphids Good luck; hope you soon have lots of healthy basil leaves to pick.
