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Predator Mites....who has the best??
- Thread starter DJXX
- Start date
I don't know man, this will seem like a thouroughly unhelpful post but it is meant otherwise...
I have had no experience with predator mites. I ordered bugs a couple times for outside gardens, and it was expensive as it was, but if I did what they suggested and ordered every couple weeks or so, I would have gone broke! screw that!
fwiw, first time I ordered trichagamma wasps, lady bugs, and green lacewings... that seemed quite successful that first year, but I hoped the population would have stayed here and multiplied for future years... seemed neither happened. Second time, many years later, ordered beneficial nematodes and one or 2 other things... seemed mildly successful at first but who knows, again the results did not last. even more so for indoor gardens, I would worry about die off when the pest food supply runs out, and not to mention that they depend on a healthy population of pests so how effective can they be without dooming themselves? I see dragonflies and tons of bug eating birds in the garden constantly, but still a ton of leaf hoppers, whiteflies, japanese beetles and others descending on the drought ridden outdoor garden. at any rate, best of luck and hope this helps somehow at least I hoped it would.
I have had no experience with predator mites. I ordered bugs a couple times for outside gardens, and it was expensive as it was, but if I did what they suggested and ordered every couple weeks or so, I would have gone broke! screw that!
fwiw, first time I ordered trichagamma wasps, lady bugs, and green lacewings... that seemed quite successful that first year, but I hoped the population would have stayed here and multiplied for future years... seemed neither happened. Second time, many years later, ordered beneficial nematodes and one or 2 other things... seemed mildly successful at first but who knows, again the results did not last. even more so for indoor gardens, I would worry about die off when the pest food supply runs out, and not to mention that they depend on a healthy population of pests so how effective can they be without dooming themselves? I see dragonflies and tons of bug eating birds in the garden constantly, but still a ton of leaf hoppers, whiteflies, japanese beetles and others descending on the drought ridden outdoor garden. at any rate, best of luck and hope this helps somehow at least I hoped it would.
lotusland farms
Member
Most will recommend P. persimilis. I have used them extensively in the past and was never happy.
If you are basing your environment around a vpd grow style I've had great success with N.fallacis.
They tolerate the heat and humidity, they don't die off with a lack of spider mites to eat, and if you have multiple rooms they will migrate around looking for food.
If you are basing your environment around a vpd grow style I've had great success with N.fallacis.
They tolerate the heat and humidity, they don't die off with a lack of spider mites to eat, and if you have multiple rooms they will migrate around looking for food.
i bought them in the past...like 5000 of them...didn't think they did anything....thought i put them out too soon after Avid, Forbid and a cpl others...i thought i did a better job killing the predators...and yes Red Fang it seems like it could get expensive if ordered the way they want you to...DJXX
lotusland farms
Member
They take a few weeks to get established but once they do they are a force..They can't tolerate any sprays or residue, I understand it's a big leap cause leaving those resistant spider mites for a few weeks can lead to disaster.
Are you sure they were alive? Can't tell you how many times they arrived 80 percent dead.
Are you sure they were alive? Can't tell you how many times they arrived 80 percent dead.
yea they could have been 80% dead.....though i did see some live ones...i kept lookn at the bottle wondering hmmmm...5000?? no way there is 5000...i can spray every three days with different formulas and keep them at a minimum...but i want them gone and get back to the beauty grows i use3d to have...no dotted leaves...maked me crazy..i would have set them on fire if i didn't like my house...DJXX
It's really important with predatory mites to order colonies on bean leaf, rather than the vermiculite loaded jars that are mainly mixes of hungry males with few females.
The packs that come in vermiculite are mostly males; whereas equal sexual ratios between males and females are necessary to establish breeding colonies in your space.
If I see a hotspot I add the persimillis and the fallacis, the persimillis do a good job on the outbreak, and the fallacis sets a colony and takes care of the rest.
I really suggest buying breeding colonies on bean leaf or other leaf- they come with TSM on the leaves so the fallacis have food to eat during transport. It seems counter intuitive to add bean leafs with TSM on them (and many grower simply refuse them in this form), but it really is the best way, as these have proven over and over to establish breeding colonies faster, which is crucial for control.
Keep in mind, predators don't like short day lengths (ie, 12-12). Many of them will stop hunting and/or enter diapause, species depending.
Also, environment is really really important for preds. They prefer cooler temps and higher humidity. Taken all these together, adding them to flowering crops is really not the way to go... it will be an uphill battle. If you add fallacis preventatively in veg, when you can lower the temps and increase the humidity without detriment to the plants, you give your predators a leg up on the evil TSMs.
More info here, and Corky added some youtube links to TSM getting eaten under a scope... happy times! https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=7568693#post7568693
The packs that come in vermiculite are mostly males; whereas equal sexual ratios between males and females are necessary to establish breeding colonies in your space.
If I see a hotspot I add the persimillis and the fallacis, the persimillis do a good job on the outbreak, and the fallacis sets a colony and takes care of the rest.
I really suggest buying breeding colonies on bean leaf or other leaf- they come with TSM on the leaves so the fallacis have food to eat during transport. It seems counter intuitive to add bean leafs with TSM on them (and many grower simply refuse them in this form), but it really is the best way, as these have proven over and over to establish breeding colonies faster, which is crucial for control.
Keep in mind, predators don't like short day lengths (ie, 12-12). Many of them will stop hunting and/or enter diapause, species depending.
Also, environment is really really important for preds. They prefer cooler temps and higher humidity. Taken all these together, adding them to flowering crops is really not the way to go... it will be an uphill battle. If you add fallacis preventatively in veg, when you can lower the temps and increase the humidity without detriment to the plants, you give your predators a leg up on the evil TSMs.
More info here, and Corky added some youtube links to TSM getting eaten under a scope... happy times! https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=7568693#post7568693
mine came with the vermiculite...thanks chimera so much...DJXX
I still see the soil mites rear up if I let things slide and FG become established.
Can't add much after Chimera's comprehensive post. Bean leaves are a mess but preferable. I hang them at branch joints and knock off a week later.
A light misting on the undersides will give predators a drink as they range out to find prey. Don't douse your plants five times a day, once or twice during introduction is more than sufficient.
Biobest has a pesticide compatibility chart, I highly recommend applying some form of control before introduction.
This is a general comment, but I am always amazed at peoples inability to read (or follow) instructions on a package. re: numerous reports of failed introductions, subpar result or "not working) within minutes of application.
They're bugs, they can make your job much easier, but they won't do it for you.
A specialized method requires one to switch off Full Retard mode.
Imagine if humans avoided breeding by smelling genetic incompatibility?
Who would watch NASCAR then?
Can't add much after Chimera's comprehensive post. Bean leaves are a mess but preferable. I hang them at branch joints and knock off a week later.
A light misting on the undersides will give predators a drink as they range out to find prey. Don't douse your plants five times a day, once or twice during introduction is more than sufficient.
Biobest has a pesticide compatibility chart, I highly recommend applying some form of control before introduction.
This is a general comment, but I am always amazed at peoples inability to read (or follow) instructions on a package. re: numerous reports of failed introductions, subpar result or "not working) within minutes of application.
They're bugs, they can make your job much easier, but they won't do it for you.
A specialized method requires one to switch off Full Retard mode.
Imagine if humans avoided breeding by smelling genetic incompatibility?
Who would watch NASCAR then?
I order from Arbico organics, they have a variety, depending on temp and humidity...
Tagged.
Hav had a couple issues with colonies causing problems of their own.. Worse was hydro, their bodies where actually clogging lines. PH was practically uncomfortable.
Hav had a couple issues with colonies causing problems of their own.. Worse was hydro, their bodies where actually clogging lines. PH was practically uncomfortable.
I don't know what I can add on top of what a couple of others have already shared but I thought I would wade in with my recent experience with them battling russet mites (not much of a battle really as the predators worked for me)
Copy and past from my thread
Copy and past from my thread
Bee pollen? Wonder what his source on that is or if it is personal experience.
Cat tail stands above in any trial and forms the base of Nutrimite. Artificial diets are unsustainable over the long term (think wolves vs. dogs), but does give significant benefit if applied during introduction (greater/faster initial control).
Cat tail stands above in any trial and forms the base of Nutrimite. Artificial diets are unsustainable over the long term (think wolves vs. dogs), but does give significant benefit if applied during introduction (greater/faster initial control).
Coughie
Member
Cattail is the one you want.
"Bee pollen".... is.. whatever the bees collected... can be collected using pollen traps on bee hive entrances, to the detriment of the hives health. Or it's what they supplementally feed to bees during dearths..
Depending on the interpretation..
But it's cattail pollen that you want for supplemental feeding of predator mites.
"Banker plants" are the best option for long term sustainability, but cattail pollen will get the job done
"Bee pollen".... is.. whatever the bees collected... can be collected using pollen traps on bee hive entrances, to the detriment of the hives health. Or it's what they supplementally feed to bees during dearths..
Depending on the interpretation..
But it's cattail pollen that you want for supplemental feeding of predator mites.
"Banker plants" are the best option for long term sustainability, but cattail pollen will get the job done
I hadn't ever heard this and the bee pollen was a new one for me. I just bought a half pound of the bee pollen so I hope that works. Gonna use it til it's gone.
Bubbamaniac
Active member
I would bet you can buy bee pollen from an apiary, or a honeybee supply store, that sounds like a great idea too me, I definitely was kicking the idea around of rearing my own predator mites. Finding tons of info is difficult though. I would imagine if you could keep colonies, and just keep propagating them, then you could use them at will.
Coughie
Member
You'll be hard pressed to get bee pollen from an apiary,
Unless *thats what they do*
Bees use pollen to eat and feed their young,
So shorting them of that, makes them work harder to gather the same nutrition
Which shorts the bees, in the long run
And runs the beekeeper out of beekeeping if they practice it too 'hard'..
So those that produce bee pollen, generally dont do other things like produce 'packages'/'nucs', sell honey... but they may pollinate for profit, and strip the bees of that pollen to sell as a 'varietal'...
And no, thats not how cattail pollen is gathered lol..
Apiaries are generally doing the opposite, as I mentioned earlier;
They formulate supplemental feeds to feed the bees when the bees dont have enough pollen from "the wild"..
Granted, there are areas that produce excess pollen (and possibly lack nectar) where pollen harvesting can be done sustainably, but to assume that's how its happening overall is a bit naive on the consumers part..
Unless *thats what they do*
Bees use pollen to eat and feed their young,
So shorting them of that, makes them work harder to gather the same nutrition
Which shorts the bees, in the long run
And runs the beekeeper out of beekeeping if they practice it too 'hard'..
So those that produce bee pollen, generally dont do other things like produce 'packages'/'nucs', sell honey... but they may pollinate for profit, and strip the bees of that pollen to sell as a 'varietal'...
And no, thats not how cattail pollen is gathered lol..
Apiaries are generally doing the opposite, as I mentioned earlier;
They formulate supplemental feeds to feed the bees when the bees dont have enough pollen from "the wild"..
Granted, there are areas that produce excess pollen (and possibly lack nectar) where pollen harvesting can be done sustainably, but to assume that's how its happening overall is a bit naive on the consumers part..
