Phytoseiulus persimilus
(Two-spotted spider mite predator) Persimilis is a tropical predatory mite that was one of the first greenhouse biological control agents available commercially. Both adult and immature predators move rapidly over the leaves and both feed on two-spotted mite eggs, nymphs and adults. Unlike its prey, Persimilis does not spin webbing. Persimilis is most effective when applied at the first sign of a two-spotted mite infestation. Because of its high reproduction rate. Persimilis usually exhausts its food supply and eventually dies out, therefore repeated introductions are recommended until all sites with spider mite infestations have Persimilis present. General Introduction Rates:
5 Persimilis/10 sq. ft. or 20 Persimilis/infested leaf, weekly as needed. Apply predators to each infested plant. Greenhouse cucumbers:
6 Persimilis/10 sq. ft. or 100 Persimilis/infested plant, weekly or as needed. Larger areas use 60,000 Persimilis/hectare (24,000 per acre). Greenhouse tomatoes -
apply a ratio of 1 predator to 10-20 spider mites. It is recommended for mite control that a minimum of 3-4 releases will be needed in an indoor area (Greenhouse, Grow room, etc...) The release rate is as follows: 1 release 7 days apart for three weeks and one follow-up release 30 days after the third release. This usually controls your mite problem. If your growing outdoors, then you need to follow the same regiment, however, you may need to do more weekly releases. As with any biological control, your intention is to create a hostile environment to rid your plants of their pests. Trapping and monitoring of your grow site is an absolute so you know ow many pests per area you are fighting. True IPM is the use of biological controls as well as soft pesticides. If your plants are dying, it may be too late to use Biological control agents and you may need to react with pesticides. It is always best to be proactive, rather than reactive in the use of biological insect control.
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