AMBLYforce™ S (125,000)
Bag of 125,000 in 80% bran/ 20% Vermiculite
$272.95
Sale price
$272.95
Regular price
Product Description
AMBLYforce™ S is the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii, used mainly to control whitefly, with some impact on spider mite populations. This format ships as loose bulk mites in a 5-liter bag (125,000), dispensed with the provided scoop for fast coverage of larger plantings. Swirskii is a polyphagous predator that also feeds on pollen, so it can be introduced preventively and thrives in warm crops — it stays active at high temperatures between 86°F and 95°F, which makes it a workhorse in greenhouses, indoor facilities, field and row crops, interiorscapes, and gardens.
What it targets
- Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)
- Tobacco Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
- Certain Thrips spp.
- Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae)
- Tarsonemid Mites
Crops it supports
Vegetable crops, soft fruits, ornamental crops, and hemp/cannabis — in greenhouses, indoor facilities, field and row crops, interiorscapes, and gardens.
How Amblyseius swirskii controls whitefly and thrips
Swirskii is polyphagous: it eats thrips (the first and second larval instars of western flower thrips) and whitefly (the eggs and first larval instar of greenhouse and Bemisia whitefly). Used preventively, it can control whitefly before they produce honeydew. The predator’s population builds as pest pressure increases, and it can feed on pollen — or be supplementally fed in low- or non-pollinating crops. It adapts easily to high temperatures between 86°F and 95°F.
Release Rates
| Classification | Release Information |
|---|---|
| Bulk Bag | 2–5 per sq. ft., bi-weekly as needed. Use the provided scoop. |
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. Apply as soon as possible after receipt. If storage is unavoidable, hold the product around 60°F, keep humidity high, and open the box so carbon dioxide does not build up and kill the mites.
Monitoring: Check plants for decreasing populations of thrips larvae and whitefly. 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: If used alongside Phytoseiulus persimilis, use caution. In a greenhouse with mixed mites and whiteflies, clean up honeydew deposits and excessive webbing before release. Try to maintain microclimate humidity around 70%, supplementing with misting if conditions get too dry.
Meet the Beneficial Mite
AMBLYforce™ S is Amblyseius swirskii, a predatory mite in the family Phytoseiidae. Adults run 0.5 to 1 mm long, pear-shaped, and light beige to milky white — small enough that you will rarely pick one out without a hand lens. It looks much like Amblyseius cucumeris, but with a smaller body. Swirskii is a generalist, moving between whitefly eggs and first-instar larvae, thrips larvae, spider mite eggs, tarsonemid mites, and pollen. That flexibility is what lets a population hold in the crop between pest flare-ups instead of dying out with its prey.
Life cycle
Swirskii passes through one larval and two nymphal instars before the final molt to adult. Juvenile stages are usually complete within 10 days of emergence, so mites released today are producing a second generation inside your crop well before the next scheduled application.
| Stage | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Egg | About 0.15 mm, murky white to beige, laid individually on leaf hairs or along the midrib; larvae emerge after 2 to 3 days |
| Larva | Nearly transparent, small, and six-legged — this stage does not take prey |
| Nymph (two instars) | Darker than the larva and already adult-like, with eight fully formed legs but a smaller overall body; both instars are predatory |
| Adult | 0.5 to 1 mm, pear-shaped, light beige to milky white; a female lays up to 38 eggs over her lifetime |
Spotting swirskii 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 — about 0.15 mm, murky white to beige, laid singly on leaf hairs or along the midrib — are distinct from pest mite eggs, so finding them confirms the predators are established and reproducing rather than simply present. Second, while swirskii 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.
Diet drives how fast it develops
Development from egg to adult is influenced mainly by diet: swirskii feeding on live prey develops faster than swirskii feeding on pollen. Pollen is what carries a population through the quiet stretches — it is not a substitute for prey, which is why low- and non-pollinating crops benefit from supplemental feeding.
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 tube 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 the reason for the bi-weekly repeat: each application is a pulse, and the repeats keep pressure on the pest while the first cohort establishes and begins reproducing in the crop. 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.
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.