Biological Solutions

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.

The Steinernema carpocapsae is considered a generalist parasite and has been effectively used to control a variety of insects including: flies, flea, ants, termites, webworms, cutworms, armyworms, girdlers, some weevils, and wood-borers. This species is an ambush forager, standing on its tail in an upright position near the soil surface and attaching to passing hosts, even capable of jumping. As an ambush forager, Steinernema carpocapsae is especially effective when applied against highly mobile surface-adapted insects and below-ground insects are also controlled by this nematode. Steinernema carpocapsae is an evolved insect-killing symbiosis with bacteria and kills its hosts within a few days of infection. This parasite releases its bacterial symbiont along with a variety of proteins into the host after infection, and together the bacteria and nematode overcome host immunity and kill the host quickly.

Amblyseius cucumeris, are useful for the prevention, control, and various thrips and mites species. Predatory mite for the control of thrips larvae and two-spotted spider mites, broad mites, russet mites, and cyclamen mites. A. cucumeris are tough, flexible predators that happen to prefer thrips, mostly the immature thrips stages. It moves quickly to attack eggs, larvae and small adult thrips and mites. These predators are supplied two different ways: a bulk product in vermiculite for fast distribution and consumption; and a sachet product for slow preventive releases over an 3-4-week period.

Universal Release Boxes are for distributing other organisms not sold in sachets without over-the-top applications. Ideal for flowering crops to keep buds free from debris. Hang low inside canopy like a sachet for best results.

Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes occur naturally in soil, but not at high enough levels to provide effective pest control. Inundative releases are necessary to reduce insect populations below economic thresholds. In some cases, recycling through host insects will occur to minimize the need for subsequent applications. Some target pests that have been controlled (to varying extents) by H. bacteriophora in field tests are white grubs, Japanese beetle, grubs, northern masked chafer, black vine weevil, strawberry root weevil, citrus root weevil, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetles, red imported fire ant, several other soil-inhabiting insects, and filth fly maggots in manure.

Stratiolaelaps scimitus (formerly Hypoaspis miles) is a soil-dwelling mite capable of the prevention, control, and management of sciarid flies, shore flies, root aphids and various thrips and soil pests.