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.

Mix biological control agent mix contains the hymenopterous parasites, Encarsia formosa and Eretmocerus eremicus. It controls the younger larvae of greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, and silverleaf/sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, by host feeding and the older larva by parasitism reproduction.

The predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus has characteristics of both type II specialist predatory mites and type III generalist predatory mites. Neoseiulus californicus prefers Tetranychid mites as food, but will also consume other mite species, small insects, such as thrips, and even pollen when the primary prey is unavailable. It’s often used to control the twospotted spider mite, and other phytophagous mites on various crops in temperate and subtropical regions around the world. Neoseiulus californicus tolerates high temperatures and low humidity. It targets all stages.

Red Scale Parasite (Aphytis melinus) California red scale is the favorite prey of these parasitic wasps, although citrus red scale, oleander scale, San Jose scale, ivy scale, and citrus yellow scale are other prey. Aphytis are shipped as adults, and the adult females lay their eggs in red scale. The larvae consume their host, and each A. melinus kills more than 30 scale insects.

Amblyseius swirskii is a very effective generalist predatory mite used to suppress immature thrips, two-spotted spider mites, cyclamen mites, broad mites, and whiteflies in ornamental, fruit and garden crops.

Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora an evolved insect-killing nematodes that kills its hosts within a few days of infection. The Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis is considered a generalist parasite and has been effectively used to control a variety of pest insects.
Mix the two together and cover up to one acre. $68.50