Thrips Destroyer – Amblyseius cucumeris
“Mighty mites are the way to keep thrips at bay”
Amblyseius cucumeris is a tiny predatory mite that forages on the leaves of plants, searching out and feeding upon their prey by piercing them and sucking out their contents. A. cucumeris are the most important natural enemies of thrips and are widely used for the biological control of thrips in greenhouse crops. A. cucumeris will also feed on several other organisms when thrips are not available, such as spider mite, the larvae of spider mite, tarsonemids and also pollen.
Amblyseius cucumeris nymphs and adults are light brown in color, have a somewhat flat elongated body and are roughly 0.4 mm in length. They are extremely mobile and actively search for and ingest food. They have four pairs of legs, the first pair being used as feelers.
Success with the growth of the population of this useful predatory mite depends on environmental factors such as the crop, availability of prey, use of pesticides, climate and relative humidity.
Release Instructions – Lightly mist the leaves of the infected plant with water. Sprinkle granular bran mixture directly on the leaves or in a 5 ml (1 tsp) pile directly on the soil or rock wool blocks, preferably beside the stem of the plant. 250 grams covers up to 20 medium plants.
* These beneficial predatory mites work best when applied early to prevent thrips numbers from increasing.
