Swirski - Mite Plus

What Is Swirski - Mite Plus?

Please Note: All our biological pest control options are special order items since they are alive and would rapidly loose effectivity if stored for longer than a few days. Due to this, Predators are ordered specially for you from the manufacturer so there is a slower delivery on this item with an average lead time of 2 days.

Amblyseius swirskii (predatory mite for Thrips and Whitefly)

Pack size: Tea-bag sized paper sachet with hook.

Contains: 125 predatory mites + storage mites (all stages) mixed with bran per sachet.

Target

• Young larvae of various thrips species.
• Eggs and larvae of whitefly (both Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Bemisia tabaci).

Swirski mites can be used in a wide range of crops including ornamental, herbaceous and edible.

Introduction

• Apply sachets as soon as possible after receipt -
• Hang up sachets in sheltered positions in the crop – underneath the canopy on the bottom 1/3 of the plant is perfect (no direct sunlight).
• Measures improving the moisture balance in the sachets, such as placing the bottom of the sachet on the moist substrate, will have a positive effect on the longevity of product
• Handle sachets by the cardboard hook at the top; predatory mites are easily squashed with clumsy fingers.
• Handle sachets by the cardboard hook at the top; predatory mites are easily squashed with clumsy fingers.

Environmental conditions

The predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii is:

• Not susceptible to diapause, so can be introduced in winter.
• Tolerant to high temperature.
• A. swirskii population starts to develop when day temperature regularly exceeds 20 - 22°C.

Delivery, Storage and handling

Biological Beneficial’s have a very short life expectancy and therefore need to be introduced into the crop as soon as possible after receipt. Storing them for a period can have a negative impact on their quality and is only possible under the conditions described below.

Koppert B.V. is not liable for any loss of quality if the product is stored for longer than recommended and/or under incorrect conditions.

• Storage after receipt: 1-2 days.
• Storage temperature: 10-15°C/50-60°F.
• Store in a dark, cool environment and use as soon as possible.
• Provide ventilation to prevent CO2 accumulation

Remarks

• Amblyseius swirskii can also develop on pollen and plant exudates so will hang around your indoor garden even if no Thrips or whitefly are present, ready in waiting for pests to try and invade your space.
• Preventive introduction on pollen is already possible at the start of the flowering.

Appearance

• Mobile stages: beige-pink, droplet shaped, 'pushed down' position on short legs.
• Eggs: oblong, transparent white.

All stages can be found in the corner of main vein and lateral veins and in the flowers. It is not possible to distinguish Amblyseius swirskii in the field from Neoseiulus cucumeris and Amblyseius californicus which are other natural predators of Thrips.

Mode of action

Adult predatory mites search for their prey or wait for it to pass by, they then insert their mouth pieces to suck the pest dry.

Important!

Predators can easily be effected when using other pesticides – If you spray your plants just before or after introducing any predators, the predator population will suffer severely and won’t be as effective against your pests.