Acquiring beneficial insects?

[ballplayer 2]

Hi all, figured this was the best section for this question (as opposed to the infirmary). I would like to acquire some beneficial mites and nematodes. What are the most reliable and fairly priced places to acquire beneficial insects? I have seen mixed reviews for arbico and am looking for your experience with beneficial insect distributors, and the efficacy of using these insects in a small indoor soil environment.

I have been battling a soil mite that seems to multiply rapidly. My plants seem to stall by the second or third week in flower, like suspended animation. The plants quit drinking and the flowers never really begin stacking, they begin to form, but never start to stack together, unharvestable. People have said root aphids, or that these are beneficial soil mites. These bugs are the common denominator since my garden went south a few years ago. There is a thread in the infirmary titled "mites in the rootzone", good pictures of them in there from another member if you care to take a look.

Thank you for your knowledge and help,

BP 2

 

[Gascanastan]

Are you positive it's because of the soil mites???? I would doubt that....

But to try and achieve a wolf and sheep relationship with soil insects I would...

Go outside and look somewhere in your yard or local area where vegetation is allowed to exist......try to find some deciduous tress or shrubs for some leaf litter and soil to gather.

Don't be afraid to get a decent portion of the soil with it....preferably an area in our yard that doesn't get chemi treatment of any kind....and also where it's somewhat moist.

Next take this material and run it through a screen the size of rabbit cage wire and collect the screened material. Usually this will contain several types of mites and smaller worm varieties...and nematodes....and other types of predator and prey.

I add this as a topdress or mix directly into soil at a rate compatible with a proper indoor planting medium...or soil mix.

 

[jerry111165]

I wouldn't waste my time or money going the insect route. Make and apply a Neem Meal/Cake tea, wait one week and repeat. Buy quality neem meal - you'll get the best from neemresource.com

Neem - if there is such thing as a magical tree, this is it.

Jerry.

 

[Gascanastan]

I wouldn't waste my time or money going the insect route. Make and apply a Neem Meal/Cake tea, wait one week and repeat. Buy quality neem meal - you'll get the best from neemresource.com

Neem - if there is such thing as a magical tree, this is it.

Jerry.

That's an effective method...some types do well with these drenches...others not so much.

Recycle the soil and start incorporating crab shell meal along with neem seed meal as Jerry mentioned.

 

[Seandawg]

Why not just make compost?!?
Lots of insects there?
Or the neem n crab meals could help...

 

[bakelite]

www.planetnatural.com has a bunch of beneficial critters available. They may have what you are looking for

 

[herbalistRoots]

^ yes bakelite's mention is the spot

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/s...ural Pest Control&category=Beneficial Insects

 

[Phillthy]

make sure you dont have broad mites.

 

[Phillthy]

then check out this place...

http://greenmethods.com/site/shop/buy-bugs/3/#buy-spider-mite-ctrls

 

[Granger2]

Buglogical is a good source. http://www.buglogical.com/ Good luck. -granger

 

[ClackamasCootz]

March Biological - insects and other biological agents

 

[Microbeman]

http://www.rinconvitova.com/index.htm This place sounds/looks excellent

AND they carry ROVE BEETLES! My number one generalist predator.

 

[Microbeman]

http://appliedbio-nomics.com

For Canadians

 

[CT Guy]

I'd try neem as well, though I'd start by putting 2 cups in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone for 24 hours then water the pots thoroughly.

Are you sure it's a mite problem? Could it be something as simple as maybe you haven't changed out your bulbs in a long time and the plants aren't getting the spectrum and intensity of light they need to flower?

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

planetnatural is legit for sure...

 

[Microbeman]

Buy insects from the places which 'actually' raise them and don't play the word game, making it sound like they raise them. OR people who are honest about being resellers.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

OR people who are honest about being resellers

Yep......

Couldn't hurt for a slew of other products as well

 

[ballplayer 2]

Thank you for all the input guys. Sorry I did not revisit this thread more recently, been really busy.

I CANNOT say for certain the mite is causing all my problems. I do not notice them during veg, but by the time I get to flower my soil is pretty much literally alive. Makes me start itching just thinking about it. All stages of growth from the bug seem to be present (from tiny fleck that likes to hang out on the pots, to full sized adults with an orange-red clearish tint and are easy to spot-but still not very big).

I know I never had any bug problems like this when I first started growing (8 years ago) and I have NEVER sent or received clones, grow from seed only. I have had springtails present on some indoor veggies (occasionally in somewhat large numbers), but they NEVER damaged my crops and so I never worried about them. These mites have been around for a couple years now, and I have not had a single decent harvest. Though they dont seem to damage peppers or tomatoes to any serious degree,in fact they dont seem to be aroound for the veggies, springtails usually are.

The only other thing it could be aside from the mites is overwatering. Admittedly my ventilation is not the greatest (265 fcm dayton squirrel cage fan) in a 6x3 room. Though I could increase that substantially by taking the glass safety lens off my reflectors and pulling through with a 6" Vortex as well. I am considering the option of pulling through my reflectors.

When I do start again I am likely to try only intermittent watering to drainage, instead of watering to runoff everytime. For instance, water as necessary for (fertilizng every second or third irrigation) 2-3 weeks, then watering to runoff to drain excess salts.Repeat process until harvest. I know it will be a tricky way grow, but watering to runoff everytime in soil/soilless mix has been unsuccessful,even with substantial addition of perlite to mixes.

It is certainly possible I have overwatered and the mites are there to feed on decaying roots. I just know I go from pretty awesome roots in the veg room ( potting up from seedling tray--to 6" or 8" pot--) to terrible roots and nothing but problems in flowering (5 gallon pots).

My bulbs are less than 2-3 months old in my flowering room, and environmental parameters are in line thanks to air cooling my lights. I have had plants seem to show signs of burn/wilt. Like during veg some plants will begin to show slight wilt by 12-14 hours into daylight cycle, not all plants by any means. During flower I have had plants show signs of burn on top leaves or lightening in color on top leaves. I have also had a couple plants begin to "sweat" on the tops of their leaves in flower. The plants that were sweating were directly under the hotspot of a 600 HPS, but were still like 20-24 inches away from an aircooled fixture. However, I figured with symptoms like sweating it would HAVE to be heat related. Once I moved them to about 30" the sweating discontinued, but the plants never really regained good health. Lighting is 1-600 HPS and 1-400 MH in a 6x3 space, think approximately two 3x3 squares. Walls are painted flat white. Plants are always raised up off of concrete floors to avoid problems associated with root temps and concrete flooring.

Hopefully I have been detailed enough in my problems and growing parameters to elicit some advice from you guys. This hobby has become so frustrating for me. My outdoor veggie garden flourishes,my indoor winter veggie garden generally flourishes, yet my favorite healing herb has not flourished for me in far too long. Thank you for your interest and help friends.

BP2