On this page the following entries were made in the “Good Bugs” category. Check out other categories in our Archives.
Bug Blog Archives for “Good Bugs”
Now Offering Nile Delta Encarsia
At the urging of one of the biological pest control agent producers we work with, we have decided to bring on board a somewhat newer strain of our popular whitefly parasitoid, Encarsia formosa. Specifically, we’ve added what is known as the Nile Delta strain of E. formosa.
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Predator Mite Mixes… Necessary?
Last year we were asked why we don’t offer a mixture of our three Mite Predator Trio species. The person asking felt that because we list them on the same page, and call them a trio, that all of the species ordered come in one container. We concede to that, the potential for confusion, that is. Any misleading information, though, is quickly negated when trying to order them, as our caller learned. But, confusion aside, it seems offering a mixture of various species in one container is popular in the industry, so why we don’t do it, too, is a fair question.
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Order Now for 2010 Orchard Mason Bees
We don’t actually offer orchard mason bees, Osmia lignaria, in our catalog — we used to back in 1999 to 2004 — and we don’t offer them online, yet it has been brought to my attention that I should announce that folks should order them now if they want them for 2010. Confused?
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New Critter: Swirskii for Thrips
It’s taken us three years to jump on board, but we wanted to be sure of many things before we said “I do,” so to speak. But here it is, three years later, and we have finally decided to add a new critter to our line-up: Amblyseius swirskii. In a nutshell, A. swirskii is a predatory mite useful in the control of thrips predominantly, with whitefly following a close second, and with some impact to spider mites as a noted side benefit. This predator is useful and effective in a variety of greenhouse crops and holds a lot of promise. Stay tuned.
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Collecting Praying Mantis Egg Cases
Although opinions vary as to how effective mantises are at pest control (as explained elsewhere on this site), they are actually quite interesting creatures to raise and study, and are widely used in high school biology classes. The high demand for mantis egg cases, which can hold 50 to 200 eggs, has led to increased interest in collecting mantis egg cases, which garden supply companies are eager to purchase from dependable suppliers. Where we live in the mid-Atlantic region, there are healthy populations of the Chinese praying mantis, which can a make few hours’ time searching in the right places well worth the muddy boots and occasional scratches that accompany most walks in mantis country. [Mantis country is also tick country. –Ed.]
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Hyposaspis Against Spider Mites?
As we’ve done before, we’re sharing a bit of potentially exciting news from Brian Spencer, General Manager of Applied Bio-nomics, Ltd., BC, that’s fresh off the presses, so to speak. This one, we must confess, took us a bit by surprise. It involves using Hypoaspis miles against spider mites of all things. This is not the usual recipe!
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