Greenhouse pests can be kept at bay by bombarding them with a cocktail of different vegetable smells, research has shown.
Scientists exposed whitefly to the aroma of cucumber, courgette, watercress, watermelon, cabbage and beans.
As a result, the insects struggled to attack tomato plants in a greenhouse.
Study co-leader Dr Colin Tosh, from the University of Newcastle, said: "Whiteflies use their sense of smell to locate tomato plants. By bombarding its senses with a range of different smells we create 'sensory confusion' and the result is that the insect becomes disorientated and is unable to feed."
Dr Tosh added: "The effect is temporary - we saw it last no more than 15 hours.
"Used in conjunction with other methods, sensory confusion opens up a whole new area in sustainable pest control."
The research was published in the journal Agronomy of Sustainable Development,
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