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Breeding and keeping predator insects for biological control.

B

Benny106

High guys, i want to grow some bugs.

I assume it is as simple as providing the different environmental requirements, food source and ensuring there is no contamination between food/species etc.

Does anyone do this?

Thanks in advance!:kissass:
 

chilliwilli

Waterboy
Never done this but i'm thinking alot about it with chrysoperla.
When u get an insect hotel in europe most have a red painted section stuffed with straw for the chrysoperla. They are attracted to red and should use this for night and winter

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The adults feed on pollen, nectar or honeydew. The first one might be the best way to try. Get some pollen and display every day a little bit, maybe near the red box? But what kind of pollen? Only fresh or the dried stuff from the bio shop?

The adults should look like this

picture.php


And when everything works out fine(maybe1 h marvin gaye per day in addition) u should find this kind of eggs on your plants

picture.php
 

chilliwilli

Waterboy
found a pdf in german called
"Honigtau und stumme Gesänge: Habitat- und Partnersuche bei Florfliegen (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae)"

looks like the honeydew is essential for the reproduction. since the adult chrysoperla only eat honeydew they miss some essential amino acids. they get them via yeast they suck up with the honeydew. the yeast is stored and multiplied in kind of special goiter. both sexpartners exchange a drop from that goiter before mating to ensure the female has enough of that aminoacids.
 

chilliwilli

Waterboy
Hi folks
on the swiss grow forum i found a thread called "[Tutorial] Raubmilben Zucht" and it looks like some predator mites could be breed indoors. Big thx to the user TheBingBang who started the thread.
he mentioned that it will work with Amblyseius cucumeris, Amblyseius californicus and Phytoseiulus persimilis. Other users say it wont work with p persimilis since it needs spider mites as food.
u simply need a plastik container, best transparent so u can see whats going on. In this container 3 cups cut down to about 1inch should fit. U need to drill some air holes in the container and cover with some cloth so the mites won't escape.
One cup is filled with moist peat or coco to keep the rh% up to ~70%(+ min 25°C). In the second cup put the content of one predator mite sachet and in the third u put some pollen granula as food source. I think this needs some trial and error with the food source because the mites are picky eaters. Every 2-3 days they get some more pollen.
In 2 weeks there should be some changes visible like mites all over and the pollen granula are desintegrated. Now u throw away the cup with the mite sachet. It will containe spider mites as a food source what could re-infect the grow.
to collect the mites use a fine brush and tap over a sheet of paper or drop them direct on the plants.
I think it should be a good idea to start a new container every month but inoculate with mites from an old container and not a sachet to make sure there are no spider mites hidden in the predator mites.
one thing i'm not sure about is the specialization on a food source. Iirc when i was talking with a growshop owner he mentioned that the predator mites are used to their common foodsource so the sachet has to contain some spider mites/thrips to work proper
Will try this when i get some organic pollen and predator mites.
 

q3corn

Active member
I'm going to look further into this. I have a fantastic beneficial insectary near me, so I can get lacewing larvae and cucumeris and persimilis easily. But to be able to get a persistent small population of these insects would be awesome! Lacewing would be tough since my space is so small, but I'd be stoked on a consistent cucumeris population!
 

chilliwilli

Waterboy
Collecting them outdoors sounds very good imo better genetic diversity.
Maybe it would work with the lacewings if we can mimic the honeydew. Some diluted forest honey that is made of honeydew and try to add some yeast to the mix.

For the mites i don't think they will thrive in a growroom. They need high rh% to multiply good. But in a small container with ideal conditions and then release every week some mites on a death march could work.
 

q3corn

Active member
I currently just get some slow-release sachets of mites every few months as a preventative measure. If I see a population of spider mites or thrips I order a bunch of lacewing larvae, but I haven't had to do that for my space in a few years.

Outside seems like a really good idea but I live in a fairly urban area, no gardens or yards directly outside my place, so I don't know how well I would collect them? Maybe I can stick a few homes at the community garden...
 

chilliwilli

Waterboy
Sorry i missunderstoot insectary. Thought you have some nice nature around but you mean a shop :chin:.

i'm not 100% convinced of the sachets because my rh% is more in the 30-40 range and that could cause problems. The a californicus sachets have some spidermite eggs as food and i'm not sure if they won't crawl out too and then have ideal conditions with my low rh%.

I hope with the own breeding i get rid of the pest as foodsource.
 

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