AMBLYforce™ C – thrips predator (5 liter bulk bag)

Product Description

AMBLYforce™ C is a predatory mite, Amblyseius cucumeris, used for the prevention, control, and management of thrips, with useful activity against several pest mites. This format ships as loose bulk mites in a 5-liter bag, dispensed with the provided scoop for fast coverage of larger plantings. Cucumeris was the first predatory mite observed to feed on thrips, and as a generalist it also feeds on pollen — so it can be introduced preventively before thrips pressure builds in greenhouses, indoor facilities, field and row crops, and orchards.

What it targets

Thrips:

• Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)
• Flower or Eastern Thrips (F. tritici)
• Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci)
• Greenhouse Thrips (Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis)
• Melon Thrips (Thrips palmi)

Mites:

• Cyclamen Mite
• Tomato Russet Mite (Aculops lycopersici)
• Broad Mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus)

Crops it supports

Ornamentals, hemp/cannabis, field crops, row crops, and orchard crops — in greenhouses, indoor facilities, field and row crops, and orchards.

How Amblyseius cucumeris controls thrips

Cucumeris is a phytoseiid predatory mite and the first predatory mite observed to feed on thrips. Like most Amblyseius spp., it is a generalist: the nymphal and adult stages are predatory and feed on the first larval stage of thrips. Because it targets that early larval stage, pair it with a soil-dwelling biocontrol agent that attacks the thrips pupal stage for long-term control. Cucumeris also feeds on pollen, which lets it establish in the crop ahead of a thrips outbreak.

Release Rates

Cannabis Alert: Release rate suggestions on these pages are usually not sufficient for cannabis growers. For cannabis release rates, contact us.

Release Instructions

Release timing: Release bulk mites in the early or late hours of the day of receipt. If that is not possible, avoid the hot, dry times of day.

Before release: Place the bag on a shelf horizontally until release so the mites disperse evenly through the carrier. When ready, hold the bag horizontally and gently rotate to distribute the mites.

Application: Open the bag at the seal and sprinkle the contents evenly onto the plant foliage or into Universal Release Boxes (URBs) using the dispensing scoop, or disperse with a spreader or leaf-blower. Concentrate the product at release points on or near the most heavily infested plants. Leave the open bag in the crop for 24 hours so all mites can exit.

Storage: Do not cold store predatory mites for more than 8 hours. Keep them in moderate humidity at 55–65°F until ready to release.

Monitoring: Check plants for decreasing populations of thrips larvae. Scouting for predatory mite adults can be difficult, so the most reliable method is to watch for reduced pest pressure after releases. Predatory mites are fast-moving, hide in the foliage, and ambush their prey, so they are rarely found in large numbers alongside the pest.

Advisories: Avoid direct sunlight during release, and avoid hot, dry conditions that stress the mites.

Meet the Beneficial Mite

AMBLYforce™ C is Amblyseius cucumeris, a phytoseiid predatory mite and the first predatory mite ever observed feeding on thrips. Adults run 0.5 to 1 mm long, tear-shaped, and milky white to light beige — close in size to its stablemate Amblyseius swirskii, though swirskii is the more pear-shaped of the two. Not every life stage hunts: the six-legged larva does not take prey at all, and predation begins with the nymphs and continues through adulthood. Cucumeris is a generalist, so pollen sustains a population in the crop before thrips ever show up.

Life cycle

Cucumeris completes one larval and two nymphal instars before the final molt to adult. Juvenile stages are usually complete within 10 days of emergence, and adults then live roughly four to five weeks — long enough that a sachet placed early keeps working well past the first generation.

Spotting cucumeris in the crop

Adults are fast-moving and spend most of their time down in the foliage, ambushing prey rather than patrolling in the open, so you will not find them massed together the way pest mites are. Two things help. First, the eggs described above are distinct from pest mite eggs, so finding them confirms the predators are established and reproducing rather than simply present. Second, while cucumeris works below the canopy surface, adults do occasionally traverse the upper leaf surfaces, and that is where a hand lens is most likely to catch one.

What a bulk release does in the crop

A 5-liter bag puts the whole population into the canopy at once, across a much larger planting than a sachet program covers. Every mite has to find prey and start laying where it lands, so even coverage and release points on the worst plants matter more here than with a breeder sachet, which meters mites out over several weeks from a protected packet. That is also why the bulk rate runs heavier and more often — 5 to 10 per square foot, repeated weekly or bi-weekly — since each application is a pulse rather than a slow trickle. Work in consistent scoops rather than by eye: at this volume an uneven pass leaves gaps that take a full cycle to close. Universal Release Boxes help by giving the mites a sheltered starting point instead of dropping them straight onto exposed foliage.

Why cucumeris needs a soil partner

Cucumeris feeds on the first larval instar of thrips and only that stage. Later instars drop off the plant to pupate in the growing medium, where a foliar predator cannot reach them, and they return as adults to start the cycle again. Running cucumeris alone therefore trims each generation without closing it. For long-term control, pair it with a soil-dwelling agent that attacks the pupal stage — Stratiolaelaps scimitus, Dalotia coriaria, or beneficial nematodes — so the pest is under pressure both above and below the canopy.

Conditions it wants

Cucumeris performs best between 66°F and 80°F with relative humidity in the 65 to 72 percent band. Humidity at the leaf surface matters more than the room reading, and sachets in particular should never be allowed to dry out completely.

Disclosures

Live product

Beneficial Insectary strives to guarantee the live delivery of the freshest organisms to our customers. We offer replacements or credits for any compromised shipments to customers who report issues or concerns within 24 hours. These issues or concerns must be relayed before releasing any organisms suspected of having viability issues. Please do not discard the product — you may be asked to return the shipment for further analysis.

Establishment of beneficials in crop settings

Many variables can affect biological control agent (BCA) and pest populations in the crops we work with — pesticide applications, watering practices, improper storage, and cultural, physical, or mechanical controls among them. Some beneficial organisms need a steady pest presence as a food source to build their population; others need alternate food such as pollen or nectar; still others have specific photoperiod requirements. Because of these variables, we cannot guarantee the short- or long-term establishment of the BCAs we sell once the organisms have been released. We do not offer refunds, discounts, or other credits on products that have already been released. Please refer to our live-product disclosure above.