Features:

Thrips are important greenhouse pests. They have a wide host range consisting of hundreds of plant species that includes all the major greenhouse vegetable crops and many commonly grown ornamentals. Thrips are very small in size (1-3 mm) and live cryptically such as in the flower bud, new leaves, or growing points of plants. This pest has readily developed resistance to pesticides and there are few or no effective pesticides to control them.

Amblyseius cucumeris and Orius Insidiosus are effective in controlling thrips.

AMBLYSEIUS CUCUMERIS:

Small (0.5 mm) cream coloured mite that feeds on western flower, broad and cyclamen mites.

This predator mite prefers to feed on first instar thrips larvae. They can sense the thrips emerging from the leaf tissue and wait to bite the heads off the emerging thrips. They can also eat second instar larvae.

SHIPPED: Adults and immature with bran carrier in one 10L bag.

OPTIMUM CONDITIONS: 20-25C (68-77F); 65-70% humidity.

RELEASE RATE: 10-100 Cucumeris per plant weekly.

SPECIAL NOTES: This is a non-diapausing strain. Use with blue sticky cards.

ORIUS INSIDIOSUS
(Predator)

Latin name: Orius insidiosus

Very small (2.5 mm) black, silver and gold predatory bug that feeds primarily on all stage of thrips and aphids, mites, thrips, whiteflies, soft bodied moth eggs and larva.

Orius are consumers of 12 pests a day and in feeding can kill 40 more pests. The adults are active flyers and can provide coverage throughout the crop.

SHIPPED: Adult in bottle with carrier.

OPTIMUM CONDITIONS: 17-29C (62-84F), 60-80% humidity.

RELEASE RATE: 5-10 per m. sq. (10ft. sq.).

SPECIAL NOTES: Needs 14 hours of light to prevent diapause.