#11 Biological control #11 Amblyseius Swirskii- control of Thrips

moses wellfleet · Feb 21, 2012

this is the other predatory mite that i use for control of thrips. they arrived in sachets the size and shape of a tea bag that you hang throughout your crop and they emerge when they are ready.

it is impossible to distinguish this species from californicus and cucumeris with the naked eye or even to see them easily with the naked eye. i understand that it was only recently used for biological control.

they turned the tide on a major thrips infestation in my garden.

mad librettist · Feb 21, 2012

keep up the good work Moses!

this whole biological controls index deal was set up to attract people like you. Not enough of us are using these methods, mostly because we don't have enough knowledge to feel confident about spending the time and $$ to establish them.

especially helpful would be any details of how you applied, mistakes you made (very important), where you order them, and any tips you might feel are too obvious or patronizing. post it all, it will help someone.

lead us to the promised land brother moses!

moses wellfleet · Feb 22, 2012

i really cant believe i am a lone ranger on this, i have seen so many threads on peeps discussing different sprays and mite control techniques all of them so labour intensive.

the only thing you need to pay attention to with your predatory mites is temps and humidity but if you are growing correctly then you are doing this anyway.

i paid about $300 for my 3 different species of mites but that is for a large operation. a bunch of friends could easily share the costs and pass the mites around as their population increases.

i obtained my bugs from Koppert a Dutch company that is in most countries

once you have the bugs in your rooms your pest worries are over i hope to see more peeps making friends with these little guys!

moses wellfleet · Sep 19, 2012

Take Note swirskii mites have also been observed feeding on broad mites!

RanchoDeluxe · Sep 19, 2012

If I remember right planetnatural.com buys predatory insects from the company that you mentioned.

Double check that what you ordered is what you got.

How do these predators do when sprayed with neem, Bronners, spinosad, Safers etc.?

I guess the whole point of them is so you don't have to spray?

I know that I'll never use ladybugs in my room ever. A couple years back we had them in our rooms. Suicidal little bastards dying on top of the bulb actually caught it on fire. If I hadn't been in there watering it would have been devastating.

Dkgrower · Sep 20, 2012

moses wellfleet said:
i really cant believe i am a lone ranger on this, i have seen so many threads on peeps discussing different sprays and mite control techniques all of them so labour intensive.

You are not alone i use them every year mine are called phytoseiulus persimilis, they do the job very well..

Spray leave surface with water and sprinkel out the medium they come in, simpel and effective

Atlantic Allele · Sep 20, 2012

I no longer risk my life or my animals with chemical pesticides. I no longer have the fear of losing a crop is forever dispatched upon learning about beneficial insects. I highly suggest anyone out there questioning them to use them and see how much more effective they are than chemicals. With modern insectaries to order from there is no need for chemicals or worrying about crop failure due to bugs.

Hypoaspis Miles will absolutely destroy fungus gnats in a single day as well as kill thrips although they tend to stay on the soil part they would be a great asset to use in conjunction with these predators for upper and lower thrip infestations. I keep my beneficials in their own bin of soil that I do not use and actually try to infect with gnat larvae sometimes to help feed them. They will propagate all on their own. The best wya of feeding them however has been to order Nematodes every 2 months because they also destroy fungus gnats and feed the Hypoaspis Miles as well.

moses wellfleet · Sep 20, 2012

Dkgrower said:
You are not alone i use them every year mine are called phytoseiulus persimilis, they do the job very well..

Spray leave surface with water and sprinkel out the medium they come in, simpel and effective

you spray the leaf surface to increase humidity?

Dkgrower · Sep 20, 2012

moses wellfleet said:
you spray the leaf surface to increase humidity?

That is the instruction that come with them, they come in a small tube with some medium i spray 2-3 fan leafs on every plant and the tap the tube so alittel medium fall out.

There are 500 predator mites in the tube and is enuff fore 120m2 greenhouse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoseiulus

The red killers

moses wellfleet · Sep 21, 2012

Dkgrower said:
That is the instruction that come with them, they come in a small tube with some medium i spray 2-3 fan leafs on every plant and the tap the tube so alittel medium fall out.

There are 500 predator mites in the tube and is enuff fore 120m2 greenhouse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoseiulus

The red killers

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=231839 dk grower the link above is a separate thread for spider mite control. your knowledge and experience is greatly appreciated. please post anyhing else you would like to add in the above thread anything that can help get people started with predators in their gardens.

moses wellfleet · Sep 21, 2012

some more shots of swirskii so you guys know what you are looking for:

moses wellfleet · Apr 25, 2013

swirskii mite sachets

swirskii mite sachets

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swirskii mite sachets about the size of a tea bag

i have used these against broad mites with great effect, they contain mites in all growth stages and provide protection for your crop for 6 weeks. as soon as i detect a broad mite outbreak i move the sachets to that area and a couple days later no more damage, just healthy new growth!
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amannamedtruth · Apr 27, 2013

glad to know about this now. thrips are a nightmare

moses wellfleet · Apr 27, 2013

amannamedtruth said:
glad to know about this now. thrips are a nightmare

broad mites seem to be an even bigger nightmare these days, so I think swirskiis will become famous for their ability to control broad mites so effectively

Mr. Cannabliss · Dec 22, 2013

moses wellfleet said:
broad mites seem to be an even bigger nightmare these days, so I think swirskiis will become famous for their ability to control broad mites so effectively

Have you used them for Russet Mites? I've read that they work, gonna give it a try.

moses wellfleet · Dec 23, 2013

Are you sure you don't have broad mites, what makes you think you have hemp russet mites?... I only ask cos most people who call hemp russet mites usually realize down the road that they have broad mites!

Mr. Cannabliss · Dec 31, 2013

moses wellfleet said:
Are you sure you don't have broad mites, what makes you think you have hemp russet mites?... I only ask cos most people who call hemp russet mites usually realize down the road that they have broad mites!

Hey Moses, Sorry for the delay.....internet issues. They don't look like the broad, they look dead on russet.

DinosaurCocks · Jan 3, 2014

I know that I'll never use ladybugs in my room ever. A couple years back we had them in our rooms. Suicidal little bastards dying on top of the bulb actually caught it on fire. If I hadn't been in there watering it would have been devastating.

could you maybe put window screen over your reflector intake or do you do a bare bulb setup?

Dion · Nov 25, 2015

Old thread about to use swerskii for broad mites

Pack of 250 is cheaper than any spray

moses wellfleet · Nov 25, 2015

Dion said:
Old thread about to use swerskii for broad mites

Pack of 250 is cheaper than any spray

And a lot less work!!!

#11 Biological control #11 Amblyseius Swirskii- control of Thrips

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