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| Predator Mites Controls spider mites (500)Predator Mites Controls spider mites (500) The Pest: Spider Mites First Sign: Little yellow speckles on leaf surfaces. When you turn a leaf over, tiny, oval shaped mites, about pin head in size, are scurrying around. Their eggs, best seen with a magnifier, will be scattered around at random. Spider Mite eggs are all perfectly round, the same size, ranging from clear to amber in color. With larger infestations a fine webbing, crawling with mites, covers the plant tops. Soon, the leaves are browning and dying. Most Common Species: The Two Spot. The "two spot" Spider Mites are usually yellow/tan/greenish in color, and by maturity they grow two dark spots on their shoulders, one on each side. The larger the spots, the older the mite, or the more chlorophyll there is in the plant species they are feeding on. Spider Mites can float along with wind currents, or be carried by pets, clothing or infected plant material. Special Species Notes: Adult females have the ability to go dormant for a time after the photoperiod (daily hours of light) shortens, then re-emerge to lay more eggs a few weeks after the photoperiod lengthens again. That's one reason Spider Mites may keep reappearing, crop after crop on indoor plants. Most Popular Control: Predator Mites Predator Mites not only feed on Spider Mites and their eggs, they also breed twice as fast! Each Predator Mite sucks the juice out of about 5 Spider Mites a day, or 20 of their eggs. Used as directed, predators should noticeably begin to gain control within 4 weeks, and then continue until the Spider Mites are nearly or completely wiped out. Predators disappear when the Spider Mites are gone. Most Effective Control: Triple Threat! Use our mix of all 3 species to cover a wider range of growing conditions. Wide Temp Range, Moderate Humidity: Phytoseiulus persimilis Temperature Range: 55 - 105+ F. Humidity Range: 55 - 90% Moderate Temp Range, High Humidity: Neoseiulus californicus Temperature Range: 55 - 90 F. Humidity Range: 60 - 90% Widest Humidity and Temp Range: Mesoseiulus longipes Temperature Range: 55 - 105+ F. Humidity Range: 45 - 90% All three types can be used either separately or in any combination. If you don't specify, we'll send you our Triple Threat mix of all three |
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| Predator Mites Controls spider mites. (1000)Predator Mites Controls spider mites. (1000) |
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| Lady Bugs Controls aphids (4500)The Pest: Aphids First Sign: Wilted-looking plants that aren't thriving. Looking closer, dense colonies of tiny (1/32" - 1/8") soft bodied, pear-shaped insects are seen, expecially on tender growing tips and undersides. Young Aphids look like miniature adults. And the whole family will be found feeding together. Species Identification: Aphids come in almost every color. They can be green, yellow, pink, brown, black or any shade in between. To be certain of an Aphid diagnosis, use a magnifier to find the pair of tiny "dual exhaust pipes" on their posteriors. These are properly termed "cornicles" and Aphids are the only insects that have them. Special Species Notes: Aphids feed by sucking plant juices, which is damaging enough, but the most serious damage comes from the plant diseases they carry. They also produce honeydew. This can grow an unsightly, and potentially fatal, sooty black mold, which hoses off, or washes off with soapy water. Aphids multiply so rapidly because they're born pregnant. In fact, there are tiny secondary embryos inside the first embryos! Add to this the fact that Aphids reach adulthood in one week and you can see why they can wreak such rapid devastation. Finally, there are so many Aphid species that just about every plant has at least one species that likes it. Most Popular Control: Ladybugs Typically, Ladybugs (Hippodamia convergens) eat over 5,000 Aphids and other soft-bodied pests during their one-year lifetime. Ladybugs are one of the few beneficial insects that can be stored, dormant, in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks, depending on the time of year, as long as they don't freeze or dry out. This allows you to use a few at a time, as needed. If Ladybugs tend to fly away, spraying their backs with a soda pop/water solution glues their wings shut for about a week. We include instructions for this, as well as detailed release notes with your order. |
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| Lady Bugs Controls aphids (18000) treats 1/4 acreLady Bugs Controls aphids (18000) treats 1/4 acre |
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| Nematodes (soil worms)Controls 250 different soil pests (1 million) Covers 3,000 sq. ft. The Pest: Thrips First Sign: Leaf surfaces finely speckled with yellow spots. Later, a silvery metallic looking sheen may cover leaf surfaces. Not all Thrips create this sheen. With or without the sheen, you'll also see black specks (Thrip fecal material). Only on close inspection is the pest itself found. About 1/16" long, thrips can move quite quickly for their size. Many gardeners report thrips as a small "worm with legs". Larvae and adults look similar, but adults have wings and can fly. Hundreds of Varieties, Many Colors: Too many to try and describe here, but they all feed the same way - by scraping and rasping at tender leaf surfaces. For control purposes, the main difference is where they pupate as youngsters. Handy Hint: Your customers will pay more for plants and produce grown without pesticides. Increase their awareness of the extra care you take, and you can raise prices and increase your profits! Special Species Notes: Most Thrips move down into soil, rockwool or other synthetic growing media to pupate. This is the first stage at which to control Thrip populations, using Predator Nematodes. Often after two months, regular application of Nematodes alone gives good control. However, for heavy or persistent infestations, we recommend using Nematodes in conjunction with above-ground controls. Your choice will depend largely on the environment in your growing area. Please see Pirate Bugs and Sticky Blue Traps. Handy Hint: Soapy water sprays (such as Safers Soap) don't continue to kill off insects after the initial spraying, so they're safe to use before you add Hired Bugs. Use them instead of more powerful, longer lasting pesticides, but test a few leaves first for any adverse reactions. And, if you use soap on produce, make sure it can be washed off to avoid any soapy taste. Most Effective Control: Predator Nematode Double Death Mix! Our popular mix of two Predator Nematodes species to cover a wider range of soil depth preference. Upper 3 Inches of Soil Media: Steinernema Species Top 3 to 6 Inches of Soil Media: Heterorhabditis Species Predator Nematodes are one of the most useful pest controls to come along in years. They attack and kill more than 250 different insects, including Fleas, Thrips, Fungus Gnats, even insects as large as Cutworms. Nearly every insect that spends any part of its lifecycle in the soil is likely prey for Predator Nematodes. Application: Predator Nematodes come packaged on a small piece of synthetic sponge that you rinse out in water. Then use any type of watering can or sprayer to apply them to the soil. The pressure of passing through a sprayer nozzle won't faze them in the slightest. Each package of one million Predator Nematodes treats up to 2,500 square feet of soil surface. For best results make repeat applications every 4-6 weeks throughout the season when soil temperatures are between 50 F. & 85 F. and target pests are present. |
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| Whitefly parasites Controls whiteflies (500)Whitefly parasites Controls whiteflies (500) The Pest: Whiteflies First Sign: Tiny, pure white "moths" resting on leaf surfaces. When disturbed, these moth-like flies quickly flutter up, then settle back down onto plants. Leaves may appear shiny with honeydew. A magnifier reveals clear-white "scales" (the pupae) on the undersides of leaves. All stages of Whiteflies suck plant juices. Most Common Species: Greenhouse Whitefly & Sweet Potato Whitefly. It's so difficult to be certain which species you have, that we advise either consulting your county agent to be sure, or simply widening your predator strategy to cover both species - it's not uncommon to have both pests together. Special Species Notes: What finally kills plants with a Whitefly infestation isn't usually the Whiteflies, but a black sooty mold that grows on their accumulated honeydew. By this stage, there'll be clouds of Whiteflies. This is the time to rinse any shiny honeydew off the plants with a strong soapy water spray to prevent sooty mold from growing. Greenhouse Whitefly Control: Whitefly Parasites Tiny Whitefly Parasites (Encarsia formosa) lay their eggs inside developing Whitefly pupae, so a Whitefly Parasite hatches out instead of a Whitefly. You'll need a magnifier to see them, but they spell death for Greenhouse Whiteflies, and they provide some limited control of Sweet Potato Whitefly as well. |
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| Whitefly parasites Controls whiteflies (1000)Whitefly parasites Controls whiteflies (1000) |
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| Aphid Predators 100 - Controls AphidsAPHID PREDATORS FACT SHEET & Release Instructions (Aphidoletes aphidimyza, the predatory gall midge) Aphid predators arrive as cocoons ready to "hatch" into adult predators - a few adults may already be flying inside the container(s). Spread the contents evenly throughout the greenhouse, either on plant leaves (in the shade) or among the soil debris. Adult predators, rarely seen, emerge within a week or so as very tiny, frail-looking creatures, looking much like very small mosquitoes. They fly off to lay eggs near aphid colonies, each female laying some 250 eggs, and living about 10 days. Aphid predator activity is mostly at night. Aphid predator larvae soon hatch, and begin feeding on aphids. This is the stage most often seen, as each orange colored larvae grows to 1/10" long. To reach full development, each aphid predator larvae has to eat about 10 aphids, However, when aphid densities are high, they'll destroy a far greater number. Watching predators feed is not for the squeamish: predator larvae bite the knee joint of the aphid and inject a paralyzing toxin. After the aphid stops struggling, the predator bites into the thorax and sucks out the body contents. Killed aphids remain attached to the plant leaves, and eventually dry up (proving that predators are doing their job). Aphid predators continue reproducing all season long in greenhouses and other confined areas, often from a single release. After reaching full size as larvae, aphid predators then drop off the plant and require soil or humid leaf debris for a pupation stage, For this reason, aphid predators don't reproduce well in most hydroponic (soil-less) growing media. Also, predatory nematodes should be avoided when using aphid predators. At 68� F., the total aphid predator life cycle takes about 3 weeks. Optimum conditions would be temperatures from 68�-81�, at high relative humidity. Typical field release rates have been 3000-4000 aphid predators per acre, repeated weekly during the aphid season until control. For greenhouse use or house plants indoors, one release, early in the season, is often enough to keep predators going all season. For small home greenhouses start with at least 250 predators, or 1000 to get a population going in larger greenhouses. They should reproduce from there, but making repeat releases at 2 week intervals will get them going faster. As a preventative control, smaller numbers of aphid predators can be released occasionally during the aphid season. |
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| Thrip Predators 5000 MitesFirst Sign: Leaf surfaces finely speckled with yellow spots. Later, a silvery metallic looking sheen may cover leaf surfaces. Not all Thrips create this sheen. With or without the sheen, you'll also see black specks (Thrip fecal material). Only on close inspection is the pest itself found. About 1/16" long, thrips can move quite quickly for their size. Many gardeners report thrips as a small "worm with legs". Larvae and adults look similar, but adults have wings and can fly Special Species Notes: Most Thrips move down into soil, rockwool or other synthetic growing media to pupate. This is the first stage at which to control Thrip populations, using Predator Nematodes. Often after two months, regular application of Nematodes alone gives good control. However, for heavy or persistent infestations, we recommend using Nematodes in conjunction with above-ground controls. Your choice will depend largely on the environment in your growing area. Normally, Thrips Predator Mites (Amblyseius cucumeris) are most effective under conditions of 70-85% humidity, against all species of Thrips. They will also eat an occasional Spider Mite, and other small pests. However, reports have been poor in low humidity environments, so use these predators in greenhouse and other interior locations with high humidity levels only. Application: Simply sprinkle your Thrips Predator Mites onto plant foliage or on rockwool blocks in infested areas; they'll do the rest. Use 100-500 per plant; or 200,000 per acre, repeated every 2-3 weeks until established. Handy Hint: Insect screening material can be stretched over air intakes to filter many pests out, but you may need larger exhaust fans because of the air restriction. |
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2727 Lyndale Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN. 55408 Order Line: 1-800-498-4178 Office: 1-612-870-9077 Fax: 1-612-870-8901 [email protected] |