Biological Solutions

Steinernema Carpocapsae nematodes (SC) is most effective against flea larvae, termites, ants, and caterpillars in lawns, garden soil, and under trees where larvae pupate. S. carpocapsae tends to be most effective when applied against highly mobile surface-adapted insects. Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes use sit-and-wait strategy ambush to attack highly mobile insects.

Aphidius ervi attack many species of larger aphids such as the green peach aphid and brassica aphids. As brassica aphids are quite common in gardens, you are likely to see this natural enemy in your garden.
Mummies are 1mm in size and a light bronze color. When the adults emerge, they leave exit holes in the mummies.Larvae are not visible as they are living within the aphid.
Adults are tiny wasps, about 3mm long. They have dark wings and gold and black bodies. Adults are identified by the veins on their wing.

These small wasps parasitize leafminer larvae in field and greenhouse crops. The parasitic wasp lays its eggs in or next to leaf miner larvae of the second and third instar. Diglyphus isaea kills leaf-miner larva in the mine and lays an egg on it. The egg develops into a parasitic wasp inside the mine (but outside the leaf miner), using the dead larva as food. Host-feeding also takes place. The young parasite larvae hatch from these eggs, and will then feed on the body fluids of the larvae. Duration of development; egg-adult, at 68ºF (20ºC) ± 16 days.

Lacewings stay where you place the cards in your garden, and the larvae are voracious feeders on those pesky bugs. The larvae are voracious predators used to control a wide range of soft-bodied pest insects. Green Lacewings larvae eat aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, leafhopper nymphs, moth eggs, scale, thrips, and whiteflies. The best time to release is early morning or late afternoon. The cards can be stored at no lower than 50°F for up to 48 hours.

The eggs are on perforated hanging cards, hang the cards, from the hole in the card, near the underside of leaves in the target area.

C. montrouzieri is a voracious feeder of mealybugs in both the larval and adult stages - a single larva may consume up to 250 small mealybugs.

Orius insidiosus, a general predator also called the minute pirate bug, is an aggressive thrips predator – possibly the most effective. It attacks and kills all mobile stages of thrips, leaf hoppers, including adult thrips and leafhoppers. Orius is aggressive – it consumes 12 thrips per day but kills many more than it eats. Minute pirate bugs are generalist predators of spider mites, aphids, thrips, leafhoppers, psyllids, white flies, insect eggs, and small caterpillars. They actively search for, pierce, and feed on their prey with straw-like mouth parts. Nymphs and adults can eat 30 or more spider mites a day.