THE BUG LADY
Spider Mite Control
Two-spotted spider mites are one of the most common pests found in greenhouses and gardens.
For control, we recommend two different species of predatory mites: persimilis and fallacis, and also the small beetle Stethorus.
Persimilis is the main predator of spider mites and is the only one that will go directly into the webbing to eat them. They do best at a humidity of at least 60%, or you can help by misting your plants twice daily to keep the environment humid (pest spider mites love dry conditions). It may be necessary to reintroduce them after 7-10 days if you're dealing with a heavy infestation, or if conditions are sub-optimal.
Helpful Hint: One thing to be sure of before introducing persimilis (or any other type of beneficial bug) is that you have no pesticide residues on your plants. If you have used a pesticide even 4-8 weeks earlier, you need to tell us to see if you will have created a hostile environment for the beneficials to work well in.
Pictured top: Two-Spotted spider mites and a round pest mite egg
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Pictured right: Spider mites and extreme webbing
Click here to go to Applied Bio-nomics technical manual
Spider Mite info on page 32
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Fallacis are the best predator of spider mites if you seek to be preventative. They can also be introduced at the same time as persimilis, and after the persimilis have done their work, the fallacis will stick around on your crop feeding on pollen as well as helping to subdue future outbreaks of pest mites on your plants. They can even be introduced on "clean" plants. Fallacis has a varied diet that includes bamboo mites, spruce spider mites on a wide variety of crops from field berries to container nurseries and greenhouse vegetables.
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Stethorus are a small black ladybird beetle that are a great predator of pest mites as well. They have two advantages over the predatory mites: they are good flyers, and they are more tolerant to lower humidity.
They are meant to be used as "hot spot" treatment, alongside the mite predators above. They are expensive to rear so realistically are to be used as a supplement as these predators will fly freely to find new mite spots.
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Anystis are a large, fast, red mite that are quickly becoming a popular bio-control agent everywhere from indoor house plants to agriculture, floriculture and retailers. It is already being used for both generalist preventative applications against pests as diverse as whitefly, red mites, and psyllids and to wipe out (or prevent) known pests like thrips, aphids and spider mites.
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These "Crazee Mites" require such large numbers of prey that they are quick to spread out and may cannibalize if there is a lack of food. All mobile stages of Anystis are predatory. The adults will immediately begin laying eggs and are capable of eating hundreds of prey daily. Eggs are laid in leaf-litter or loose, consistently humid growing media, making cycling possible in most crops. Some others may require regular reapplications.
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Spider mite control is best with fallacis introduced preventatively at a rate of 2 mites per square foot, followed by a Crazee Mite Application of 0.25 mites per square foot.
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Application rates are variable. 1 mite per square foot may be appropriate for both preventative and knockdown depending on environment, plants and prey. Generally, as a starting point, it is recommended that 0.25 mites be applied per square foot for prevention. However, contact us directly to discuss more individually-catered rates of application for the area you are treating.
Hot Mites (N. fallacis):
500 Mites (22701): $27.50 on vermiculite, suited for up to 2500 sq. feet
1000 Mites (22702): $39.75 on vermiculite, suited for areas up to 5000 sq. feet
New size:
5000 Mites (22703): $119.25 (bag) on vermiculite, suited for areas 10-20,000 sq. feet
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Anystis Baccarum (Hot Spot Treatment)
50 Mites (22680): $60.00
250 Mites (22685): $165.00
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Mighty Mites (P. persimilis):
1,000 Mites (22750): $56.00 on vermiculite (for areas ~500 square feet)
Buy 3 or more: $40.00
2,000 Mites (22751): $76.00 on vermiculite - smaller "hot spot" vial (for ~500-1000 sq. feet) Buy 3 or more: $60.00
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Stethorus (Stethorus punctillum)
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50 Beetles (22763): $77.50
100 Beetles (22764): $115.00
Combo packs:
SMALL: $117.50 (22810)
Contains: 1,000 Persimilis, 500 Fallacis, 50 Anystis
(Combined value of $143.50)
REGULAR: $142.50 (22812)
Contains: 2,000 Persimilis, 1,000 Fallacis, 50 Anystis
(Combined value of $175.75)
LARGE: $225.00 (22814)
Contains: 2,000 Persimilis, 1,000 Fallacis, 250 Anystis
(Combined value of $280.75)
