ORIUSforce™ – thrips predator (500, 1,000 or 2,000)

Product Description

ORIUSforce™ is the minute pirate bug Orius insidiosus, a fast, aggressive predator best known for hunting thrips. Both the adults and nymphs feed actively, and while Orius works hardest against thrips, it also takes spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, and other soft-bodied pests — making it a strong partner alongside predatory mites in an IPM program. Use it in vegetable, fruit, and ornamental crops, hemp/cannabis, and tree and shrub nurseries.

What it targets

• Thrips spp.
• Spider mites
• Aphids
• Many other soft-bodied pests

Crops it supports

Vegetable crops, fruit crops, ornamental crops, hemp/cannabis, and tree & shrub nurseries — in greenhouses, indoor facilities, fields, gardens, and orchards.

How Orius insidiosus controls pests

Adult Orius eat all mobile thrips stages (larvae and adults), as well as spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies, while the nymphs mainly eat thrips larvae. Both adults and nymphs can also survive on pollen, and can be supplementally fed with NUTRIforce™ to help them establish in the crop before pest pressure builds.

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 Orius at sundown the day of receipt.

Release method: Gently rotate the bottle to distribute the predators evenly within the carrier, then open it in the crop and gently tap the predators and their carrier onto the foliage of infested plants, or evenly throughout the crop if the infestation is widespread. Some will fly out on their own; if they exit too quickly to control dispersal, re-secure the cap between release points. Concentrate the bulk at release points on or near the most heavily infested plants, and tuck the bottle into the foliage — ideally on a plant with heavy pest pressure — for any that won’t readily come out.

Storage: Do not store the adults or nymphs in the bottle for more than 8 hours. Hold at a moderate humidity between 50–60°F.

Monitoring: The clearest sign they are working is a drop in pests after release. Adults can sometimes be found in the crop with diligent scouting, and finding Orius on sticky cards indicates a healthy population.

Advisories: The nymphs will enter diapause if the day length is below 12 hours — supplemental lighting can be used to keep them active in short-day conditions.