ENCARSIAforce™ – whitefly parasite 100 per card (10,000/ 15,000)

Product Description

ENCARSIAforce™ is the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa, one of the original biological control agents and a proven tool against greenhouse whitefly. The female lays her eggs inside developing whitefly nymphs, killing them and turning the parasitized scale black. This format delivers the pupae on hanger cards at 100 per card, ready to separate and hang where whitefly are building. Use it in vegetable, soft fruit, ornamental, and hemp/cannabis crops, in greenhouses, indoor facilities, field and row crops, interiorscapes, and gardens.

What it targets

• Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)
• Other whitefly species

Crops it supports

Vegetable crops, soft fruits, ornamental crops, and hemp/cannabis — in greenhouses, indoor facilities, field and row crops, interiorscapes, and gardens.

How Encarsia formosa controls whitefly

Encarsia is a specialist parasite that lays its eggs inside sedentary whitefly nymphs, parasitizing the 2nd to 4th instars. It needs whitefly nymphs present to complete its life cycle, and a parasitized nymph darkens to a black scale as the wasp develops inside. Each female can lay around 150–200 eggs in her lifetime. Encarsia works best in a window of 68–77°F with relative humidity of 70% or less.

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 the wasp pupae on cards in the early to late hours of the day after receipt. If that is not possible, avoid the hot, dry times of day. Until release, keep the strips of cards in a cool, dark space so the wasps can maximize their remaining development time.

Release method: Separate the individual cards at the perforations by gently folding them back and forth — don’t tear them, which can loosen the lightly secured pupae, and take care not to touch the pupae, as they are delicate. Hang the cards from the middle to upper branches of the plants, sheltered from the sun’s rays and from watering, mist, and irrigation. Place them next to localized whitefly populations, or distribute them evenly (or near the pest’s preferred host plants) when used preventively. Leave the cards undisturbed for about 20–21 days to ensure thorough emergence. Many growers build simple release stations — a bamboo stake, a bent bread tie for a hook, and an inverted cup as a sun shade — so cards can follow the hot spots.

Storage: Do not cold store. It is best to apply the parasitic wasps as soon as possible upon receipt. If storage is unavoidable, keep them between 45–50°F in the dark, up to 18 hours after receipt.

Monitoring: Parasitized whitefly nymphs take 10–14 days to start appearing and turn a black hue. Watch the lower leaves for these black scales; when about 90% of those present are black, you can reduce applications. Don’t remove the black scales before the wasps emerge — much of the ongoing control comes from the Encarsia breeding within the crop. A parasitized nymph leaves a round, submarine-style exit hole, whereas an emerged adult whitefly leaves a T-shaped slit.

Advisories: Yellow sticky cards will catch these adult wasps as they emerge, so removing yellow cards at the time of release is ideal.