[moses wellfleet]

this is the other predatory mite that i use for control of thrips. they arrived in sachets the size and shape of a tea bag that you hang throughout your crop and they emerge when they are ready.

it is impossible to distinguish this species from californicus and cucumeris with the naked eye or even to see them easily with the naked eye. i understand that it was only recently used for biological control.

they turned the tide on a major thrips infestation in my garden.

[mad librettist]

keep up the good work Moses!

this whole biological controls index deal was set up to attract people like you. Not enough of us are using these methods, mostly because we don't have enough knowledge to feel confident about spending the time and $$ to establish them.

especially helpful would be any details of how you applied, mistakes you made (very important), where you order them, and any tips you might feel are too obvious or patronizing. post it all, it will help someone.


lead us to the promised land brother moses!

[moses wellfleet]

i really cant believe i am a lone ranger on this, i have seen so many threads on peeps discussing different sprays and mite control techniques all of them so labour intensive.

the only thing you need to pay attention to with your predatory mites is temps and humidity but if you are growing correctly then you are doing this anyway.

i paid about $300 for my 3 different species of mites but that is for a large operation. a bunch of friends could easily share the costs and pass the mites around as their population increases.

i obtained my bugs from Koppert a Dutch company that is in most countries

once you have the bugs in your rooms your pest worries are over i hope to see more peeps making friends with these little guys!

[moses wellfleet]

Take Note swirskii mites have also been observed feeding on broad mites!

[RanchoDeluxe]

If I remember right planetnatural.com buys predatory insects from the company that you mentioned.

Double check that what you ordered is what you got.

How do these predators do when sprayed with neem, Bronners, spinosad, Safers etc.?

I guess the whole point of them is so you don't have to spray?

I know that I'll never use ladybugs in my room ever. A couple years back we had them in our rooms. Suicidal little bastards dying on top of the bulb actually caught it on fire. If I hadn't been in there watering it would have been devastating.

[Dkgrower]

Originally Posted by moses wellfleet

i really cant believe i am a lone ranger on this, i have seen so many threads on peeps discussing different sprays and mite control techniques all of them so labour intensive.

You are not alone i use them every year mine are called phytoseiulus persimilis, they do the job very well..

Spray leave surface with water and sprinkel out the medium they come in, simpel and effective

[Atlantic Allele]

I no longer risk my life or my animals with chemical pesticides. I no longer have the fear of losing a crop is forever dispatched upon learning about beneficial insects. I highly suggest anyone out there questioning them to use them and see how much more effective they are than chemicals. With modern insectaries to order from there is no need for chemicals or worrying about crop failure due to bugs.

Hypoaspis Miles will absolutely destroy fungus gnats in a single day as well as kill thrips although they tend to stay on the soil part they would be a great asset to use in conjunction with these predators for upper and lower thrip infestations. I keep my beneficials in their own bin of soil that I do not use and actually try to infect with gnat larvae sometimes to help feed them. They will propagate all on their own. The best wya of feeding them however has been to order Nematodes every 2 months because they also destroy fungus gnats and feed the Hypoaspis Miles as well.

[moses wellfleet]

Originally Posted by Dkgrower

You are not alone i use them every year mine are called phytoseiulus persimilis, they do the job very well..

Spray leave surface with water and sprinkel out the medium they come in, simpel and effective

you spray the leaf surface to increase humidity?

[Dkgrower]

Originally Posted by moses wellfleet

you spray the leaf surface to increase humidity?

That is the instruction that come with them, they come in a small tube with some medium i spray 2-3 fan leafs on every plant and the tap the tube so alittel medium fall out.

There are 500 predator mites in the tube and is enuff fore 120m2 greenhouse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoseiulus

The red killers

[moses wellfleet]

Originally Posted by Dkgrower

That is the instruction that come with them, they come in a small tube with some medium i spray 2-3 fan leafs on every plant and the tap the tube so alittel medium fall out.

There are 500 predator mites in the tube and is enuff fore 120m2 greenhouse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoseiulus

The red killers

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=231839 dk grower the link above is a separate thread for spider mite control. your knowledge and experience is greatly appreciated. please post anyhing else you would like to add in the above thread anything that can help get people started with predators in their gardens.