Our Top Aphid Control with APHIDIUSforce

Aphid Control with APHIDIUSforce

Specialist parasitoids that intercept aphids before colonies explode — Aphidius colemani for small species, Aphidius ervi for large.

What it targets

APHIDIUSforce™ is the parasitoid-wasp side of an aphid program — two complementary species that, between them, cover well over 40 aphid species in protected crops. Aphidius colemani (APHIDIUSforce™ C) handles the small species — green peach (Myzus persicae), melon/cotton (Aphis gossypii), black bean (Aphis fabae), and the cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis). Aphidius ervi (APHIDIUSforce™ E) takes the larger ones — potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), foxglove aphid (Aulacorthum solani), pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), and cannabis aphid again at its larger life stages.

Pick by aphid size. If you don't know the species, both products mix without issue, and A. colemani works exceptionally well alongside banker plants. For knock-down on confirmed outbreaks, layer Aphidius with a predator — Chrysoperla rufilabris larvae for fast cleanup, or Aphidoletes aphidimyza for concentrated colonies in mild conditions.

Aphidius colemani adult parasitoid wasp on a leaf — *Aphidius colemani* — APHIDIUSforce™ C. Dark, narrow-bodied parasitoid 2–3 mm long; targets small aphid species like green peach and melon aphid.

How it works

Female Aphidius wasps hunt by smell — the volatiles from infested plants and the sugary honeydew aphids leave behind. When she finds a colony she touches an aphid with her antennae to confirm species, then uses her ovipositor to deposit a single egg inside. The egg hatches inside the aphid, and the larva eats its host from the inside out. Death follows in 7–10 days. The larva spins a cocoon inside the husk, turning the aphid into a hardened bronze-gold "mummy." A week later the adult wasp chews a clean round hole in the back of the mummy and flies off looking for the next colony.

Each female lays up to 300 eggs, most of them in the first four days of her ~2-week adult life. Activity is strongest at 64–75°F. Adults are strong flyers and don't depend on photoperiod, so they stay active year-round in temperature-controlled rooms. The hunting behavior is what makes Aphidius so useful preventively — they find aphid hot spots at population densities far too low to scout visually.

Aphidius ervi adult parasitoid wasp close-up on a green leaf surface — *Aphidius ervi* — APHIDIUSforce™ E. Slightly larger (3–4 mm) than *A. colemani*; targets large aphid species and works the same parasitism cycle.

Crops, environments, and climate

Crops they support

Ornamentals Hemp / Cannabis Vegetable crops Soft fruits Tree nurseries

Environments

Greenhouses Indoor facilities Fields Orchards Gardens

Storage

Use immediately on receipt. If brief storage is unavoidable, hold at 43–46°F (6–8°C) with relative humidity above 85% and respect the use-by date on the package. Live parasitoids don't tolerate cold-chain layovers — every day in storage costs you population.

Instructions of use

Bottle with fine shavings — mummies and adults

Release preventively, before aphids are visible. Once aphids are detected, step the dose up in line with pest density. Open the bottle near the crop and let any adult wasps that have already emerged fly off — a gentle tap encourages them. Then sprinkle the remaining contents onto flat leaf surfaces or into release boxes hung in the canopy. Do not place mummies directly on soil or substrate, and keep the release area dry and undisturbed for a few days so the developing wasps emerge intact.

Blister packs — 100 mummies per cell

Open the tab on the back of the pack and hang it in an area near the plants. Keep it out of direct sunlight — heat inside the pack reduces emergence. Blister packs are useful for distributed releases across larger blocks, since you can drop one in each section without measuring or scooping.

Bulk bottle — APHIDIUSforce™ E

Gently rotate the bottle horizontally to distribute the mummies evenly through the shavings, then sprinkle the contents onto flat leaves or into release boxes hung in the plants. Same dry-and-undisturbed rule applies. Keep out of direct sunlight.

Monitoring & advisories

Monitor for

Bronze-gold mummies on the underside of leaves, 10–14 days after the first release. That's the clearest signal the wasps are working.
Perfectly round exit holes on the back of mummies — the signature of successful Aphidius emergence.
Bulbous, pale aphids in an otherwise normal-colored colony — late-stage parasitism before mummification.
Drop in colony size and absence of fresh honeydew/sooty mold — control is generally achieved once ~80% of the aphids are parasitized.

Advisories

Pull yellow sticky cards for the first few days after release. Blue sticky cards can stay up all season.
Control ants before releasing — they defend aphid colonies to protect the honeydew and will sabotage the program.
Watch for hyperparasitoids in late summer — wasps that parasitize Aphidius from inside the mummy. Jagged exit holes (vs. clean round holes) are the tell.
Pair with a knock-down predator (Chrysoperla or Aphidoletes) when populations are already established — Aphidius alone is a slower curative.
Does not control root-feeding aphids — use a labelled mycoinsecticide for those.

Release rates — for conventional crops

Scenario	Rate	Cadence
A. colemani — preventive routine	1–5 per 100 sq. ft.	Weekly
A. colemani — hot spots step up	5–25 per 100 sq. ft.	Weekly
A. ervi — preventive routine	1–5 per 100 sq. ft.	Weekly
A. ervi — hot spots step up	5–25 per 100 sq. ft.	Weekly
Mixed Aphidius / Aphelinus bottle — preventive routine	1 per 10 sq. ft.	Weekly as needed
Mixed bottle — hot spots step up	5 per 10 sq. ft.	Weekly as needed
Mummies and adults are counted together — the bottle contents include both. Step the rate up early once you see fresh honeydew or shed skins; preventive rates aren't a curative.

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Cannabis Alert

Conventional release rates are usually not sufficient for cannabis growers. We recommend you double the rate or contact us for personalized help.

Life cycle

The whole egg-larva-pupa cycle happens inside the host aphid. The visible mummy is the aphid's husk with the parasitoid pupating inside — you don't see the larval stages from the outside.

Egg

~3 days · laid inside the aphid

Larva

~7 days · feeds inside the host

Mummy (pupa)

~4–7 days · bronze, hardened

Adult

2–3 weeks · up to 300 eggs/female

See it in action

Disclosures

Live-product policy. Beneficial Insectary works to guarantee live delivery of fresh organisms. Replacements or credits are offered for compromised shipments when issues are reported within 24 hours of receipt — and before any organisms suspected of viability issues are released. Don't discard the product; you may be asked to return the shipment for analysis.

Establishment of biocontrol agents. Many variables — pesticide applications, watering practices, storage, cultural and physical controls — affect BCA and pest populations across crops. Some agents need a steady pest food source, others need alternate food (pollen, nectar), others have specific photoperiod requirements. Because of these variables, long- or short-term establishment of BCAs cannot be guaranteed after release, and refunds, discounts, or credits are not offered on products that have already been released.