Beneficial Insectary, Inc.

Temperature and humidity is fundamental for roses and many other flower crops; these parameters will dictate the overall performance of biocontrols, biopesticides and some chemicals.

Unheated greenhouses often present problems with humidity, as they cool very rapidly after sunset, which may be hard to notice if growers are only working during daylight hours!

🕸 Exclusion of pests via insect netting can massively reduce the pest pressure by preventing insects entering the greenhouse e.g. thrips, whiteflies, aphids.

🕸 However, using extemely fine mesh or netting also reduces air movement, which can result in poor climate control. These pros and cons are worth weighing at this time of year, before cleaning up and sanitizing for the next spring season!

There are other types of vestibules to slow down pests that are hanging right outside the main greenhouse entrances:

🚪 Constructing double-doors with netting or plastic can be a low-cost compromise that you can advise to exclude pests if netting vents is not practical too.

Talking about climate, weather, and what influences the specific crop type, region, and seasonal situation is a great way to learn from our partners and vice versa!

Inevitably, many variables affect the successes of IPM. We are dealing with complex interactions between environment, plant, pest, beneficial organisms, chemicals and people. Monitoring, recording, and taking proper timed actions can help us get to the "root" of the problem!

Releasing Orius (Minute pirate bugs) at sundown on the day of delivery keeps these strong-flying predators in the crop canopy through their first night! 🌇

🔃 Gently rotate or roll the shipping bottle gently end-over-end to spread the bugs evenly through the carrier material (such as buckwheat hulls or vermiculite).

🧂 Open the bottle over the plant canopy, and gently tap out the carrier material and insects directly onto the leaves! Or place into Universal Release Boxes to let them disperse by themselves on one stem.

💡 Concentrate larger groups on or near plants with heavy thrips pressure, or distribute evenly for widespread populations.

🌱🤏 Wedge the open bottle into the branches or stems of a target plant so any remaining bugs can crawl out overnight, then avoid top-watering, overhead irrigation, or applying pesticides for a few days after release.

❄️ Watch out for extreme cold shipments; let them recover for a while!❄️

A sachet a day keeps the bugs away (not literally but they do help)! 💯

Here is some sound advice for when it's better to use bugs in bulk, or when to use sachets, instead:

🏷 Use sachets when:

◦ Doing early Preventative programs in mother and flower stages.

◦ Zero carrier/substrate on developing flower buds is strictly required.

◦ Long-term, continuous slow-release (4-6 weeks) is desired.

-VS-

📦 Use bulk mites when:

◦ Rapid, large-scale broadcast distribution is required across vegetative periods.

◦ Targeting active pest problems with high-density loose beneficial mites or other organisms.

◦ Navigating 2-tier bench systems more efficiently using the Entomatic Handheld blower with Entostick attachment.

These female aphidius wasps search for nymphs or adults of aphids, by sensing the stress odor of infested plants and the aphid’s honeydew secretion.

Using her ovipositor shown here, the female will insert an egg inside the aphid host. When the egg hatches, the larva begins to eat the aphid from the inside out, causing it to die, and turn into an aphid mummy.

A new adult wasp emerges through a round exit hole, at the back of the mummy! 📌

Each female wasp can lay up to 100 eggs, most of them during the first 4 days of adulthood.

The presence of a parasitic wasp can cause aphids to drop from the plant in a panic reaction. 

It is recommended to use Aphidiusforce MIX when several aphid species are present at once, or if the aphid species cannot be identified!

Phytoseiulus persimilis is a fast-moving, predatory mite that aggressively attacks and consumes all life stages of the two-spotted spider mite.

Although they cannot see, Persimilis mites detect spider mite webs through touch, and sense leaf damage by scent🔎

Because their development cycle (about one week) and reproduction rate outpace spider mites under optimal conditions, they can quickly knock down severe hot spots!

🔑An adult devours all stages of spider mites, while nymphs only feed on spider mite eggs, larvae or protonymphs.

➡️ Consumes about 20-25 eggs, 20-30 larvae and nymphs or 5-7 adults/day.

⚠️ Eats hundreds of spider mites during its total lifespan!

ℹ️ If the plants touch each other, the predatory mite can spread relatively easily in the crop.

Need to save some time? Entomatic Handheld is here to help! This portable insect dispenser is designed to make biological control introductions faster + more accurate 💯

✔️ Ergonomic build for narrow crop rows
✔️ 3-liter hopper to hold beneficials
✔️ Adjustable dosing speeds for even distribution
✔️ Optional end attachment to target smaller rows, or larger treatment areas 🌾

Whether releasing bugs in the open field or indoor greenhouses, the future is growing!