It sounds like you could be dealing with either spider mites, whiteflies, or mealybugs, which are all common insect pests. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do to prevent them from coming back each year on outdoor plants, since even if you totally get rid of them on your plants, they may just travel over from your neighbor’s yard and start up another infestation. For this reason, your best bet is to focus on keeping damage to a minimum instead of on outright prevention.
The things you are already doing are good tactics. Keep a close eye on the plants around the time when you first start seeing the bugs and then prune off effected areas, and use neem oil as well. Alternatively, try using a different insecticidal soap if neem oil hasn’t done the trick. This can be found at a local garden center or online.
It sounds like you could be dealing with either spider mites, whiteflies, or mealybugs, which are all common insect pests. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do to prevent them from coming back each year on outdoor plants, since even if you totally get rid of them on your plants, they may just travel over from your neighbor’s yard and start up another infestation. For this reason, your best bet is to focus on keeping damage to a minimum instead of on outright prevention.
The things you are already doing are good tactics. Keep a close eye on the plants around the time when you first start seeing the bugs and then prune off effected areas, and use neem oil as well. Alternatively, try using a different insecticidal soap if neem oil hasn’t done the trick. This can be found at a local garden center or online.