pespes
Biological Grasshopper
Control :A natural spore called Nosema
Locustae which infects 90 species of grasshoppers and crickets.
The spore is pre-mixed on bran and spread by hand. Diseased grasshoppers
are cannibalized by uninfected grasshoppers which become infected
and die. 50% control in 2-4 weeks. Control carries over at least
another year. 1 lb. of bait will treat 1 acre.
Decollate Snail : Rumina
decollata. This killer snail feeds on all stages of brown
garden snails, providing 100% control. It will also reduce slug
populations by 50%. It does not feed on plants. Release 3 snails
per 100 sq. ft. or 5 per large tree. Do not release
in counties north of Santa Barbara, CA and the
Tehachapis.
Fly Parasite :Muscidifurax
zaraptor, Spanglia. Female fly parasites lay their
eggs inside the pest fly pupae and the resulting fly parasite
larvae consume the pest pupae insides. Release 5 parasites per
cu.ft. of manure/compost pile to 500 for a large animal like a
cow or horse.
Nematodes Feltiae :Steinernema
feltiae. Ideally suited to combat insects in and on the soil
and those that bore into wood, trees and shrubs. Actively
hunting fleas, fungus gnats, black vine weevils, white grubs, plus
200 more. Not harmful to people, pets, plants or earthworms. Work
for 18 months. Apply anytime soil is not frozen by
spreading by hand over infested area and water. To
control boring insects, prepare a water suspension and spray
of inject into burrows. Control begins 24 hours after application.
One pint treats 200-400 sq.ft.
Lacewing :Chrysoperia
rufilabris. As primary aphid killers, lacewings feed also
on citrus mealybugs, cotton scale, spider mites, thrips,
caterpillars, insect eggs, and more. Release 2,000 lacewings per
2,500 sq. ft. twice at 2 week intervals. Larvae and adults are
also available.
Lady Beetle :Hippodamia
convergens. Feeds primarily on aphids but will attack other
soft-bodied insects such as mites, leafhoppers and mealybugs.
They will eat eggs, larvae and adults. They store well in the
refrigerator. Use 4,500 Lady Beetles per 3,000 sq. ft.
Mealybug Destroyer :Cryptolaemus
montrouzieri. All mealybug stages are destroyed by both adult
and larval forms of this predator. Most active in spring at 70°
F or above. Use 2 to 5 per infested plant.
Minute Pirate Bug :Orinus
sp. Use for broad spectrum consumption of thrips, mites,
scales, whiteflies, aphids, leafhoppers plus eggs and larval
stages of many soft-bodied insects such as small caterpillars.
Nymphs are also voracious eaters. Release 2,000 to 4,000
per acre.
Praying Mantis :Tenodora
aridifolia sinensis. Attacks just about any insect that it
encounters. Eggs hatch in 3 to 4 weeks at 75°F. Young man-tises
disperse into the foliage upon hatching. One egg case yields 200
adults which mature in 5-6 months. Adults typically deposit 1
to 5 cases.
Predatory Mite :Phytoseiulus
persimilis. These attack only plant feeding mites and do not
feed on plants. They work best at 60% relative humidity between
70° and 100°F, as a general mite predator. Release 1-2
mites per infested leaf, 20-30 per med. size plant or 1-5 predators
per 5-10 pest mites.
Trichogramma :T.
pretiosum. (field crops), T.minimum (orchards), T.platneri
(avocados). These tiny wasps destroy the eggs of 200 species
of larval-stage, leaf-eating moths and butterflies such as armyworm,
bagworm, coddling moths and others. Shipped in squares of 5,000.
One square treats 5,000 sq. ft.
White Fly Parasite :Encarsia
formosa. A tiny wasp attracted by the honey-dew produced by
whiteflies. Encarsia lays eggs in all whitefly instars, parasitizing
and killing them. Use 1 to 4 parasites per sq. ft. of infested
areas. Shipped as mature pupae in host eggs.
Whitefly Predatory Beetle
:Delphastus pusillus. Used to control both sweet potato
and greenhouse whitefly on poinsettia and other crops. Voracious
feeders on eggs and nymphs. Also feeds on mites. Release 400 to
1,000/acre.
Aphid Controls :Aphidius
colemani or A. maticariae are tiny wasps which are
aphid endorparasites. Eggs laid in aphids' bodies hatch and consume
aphids from within. Excellent for green peach aphids. Aphidletes
aphidomyza is an aphid midge that provides control of 60 species
of aphids by paralyzing and eating them. Not compatible with
nematodes.
Fungas Gnat Controls :Heterorhabditis
bacteriophora is a larval parasitic nematode that works by
entering the host insect and releasing a bacterium that kills
the host. Controls over 100 species inhabiting insects such as
fungus gnats, cutworms, Japanese beetles, blackvine weevils and
others. A 50/50 mixture of this nematode with Steinernema
carpocapsae is available at the same price.
Scale Insect Control :Aphytis
melinus is a small ectoparasitic wasp used to control the
California red scale, yellow scale, San Jose scale, ivy scale
and dictyospermum scale. Harmonia axyridis is commonly
known as the multicolored Asian lady beetle. It is valued for
its control of scales over aphids. Laboratory reared. Lindoris
lophanthae is a small beetle predator that controls both soft
and armored scales, especially black scales. May also control mealybugs.
Spidermite Control :Amblyseius
fallacis is a pyrethrin-resistant strain that controls 2-spotted
mites, European red mite, Spruce mite, citrus red mite and others.
It hunts and eats its prey.
Thrips Control :Ambylseius
cucumeris is a tiny mite controlling several species of thrips
such as western flower thrips and onion thrips. Also controls
cyclamen and broad mites. Hypoaspis miles is a tiny soil
dwelling mite which works as a soil-pupating thrips predator.
Also works on fungus gnats. Orius insidiosus, also
known as minute pirate bug, has a preference for thrips over other
insect groups. It is, however, a general feeder and will eat aphids,
mites, whitefly pupae, immature scales, mealybugs, insect eggs
and more.