Biological Solutions

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.

Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae. Three types of beneficial nematodes to eliminate over 200 different types of pest insects in your garden soil.

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.

This predatory mite feeds exclusively on spider mites and consumes 2 or 3 adult females or several dozen eggs in a day. Persimilis can reduce spider mite population to very low numbers in two to three weeks.

The praying mantis is an ambush hunter: it sits very still, blending in with its surroundings and waiting patiently for an unwary insect to come near. Then it easily snatches its unsuspecting victim -- some much larger than itself. When it spots one, it takes the mantis only 50-70 milliseconds to strike out with its forelegs and snare its prey. The diet of the praying mantis includes all sorts of insects and spiders, and sometimes even frogs, lizards, or mice.