Green Leaf Organics Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Hi guys Well as we all know life isn't always perfect in Rye garden and pest get in from time to time and when they do we need to deal with them. I have been battling the borg for a while now , for those of you who don't know who the Borg are they are those little red fuckers that love to piss on my parade.... Spidermites I have done the pyrol thing with good effect and the neem thing with good effect but as a pure organic grower it's always pissed me off that I have to turn to a pesticide even though it's organic to sort them out . On the international sites and overseas you will see there is another option which we have not been able to get in SA easily until now!!!!! Christmas has come early for me and in his sack has brought me 6000 of the best borg killers in the world , P. persimilis P. persimilis are a preditory mite that hunt kill and eat spidermites . Unlike there lesser trained allies the ladybug P. persimilis is ruthless and will decimate the spidermite plague and once done will then turn on themselves and eat each other . Back to Predators Table of Contents Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) Phytoseiulus persimilis, a predaceous mite, is one of the mainstays of greenhouse integrated pest management programs for control of spider mites on vegetables and ornamentals in Europe, North America, and elsewhere. This mite was accidentally introduced into Germany from Chili in 1958 and subsequently shipped to other parts of the world, including California and Florida, from Germany. Appearance Although extremely small (approximately 0.5 mm or 0.02 inches), P. persimilis can be distinguished with a hand lens. It is fast moving, orange to bright reddish orange, has a teardrop-shaped body and long legs, and is slightly larger than its prey. Immatures are a pale salmon color. Eggs are oval, approximately twice as large as the pest mite eggs. (Note: in the winter, the twospotted spider mite also develops a reddish color, although two dark spots on its abdomen usually distinguish this pest from other mites.) Habitat Greenhouses, interior plantscapes, and crops where twospotted spider mites are a problem. Pests Attacked (Host Range) This species is a specialized predator of web-spinning spider mites such as the twospotted spider mite. In fact, P. persimilis feeds, reproduces, and completes development only on mites in the subfamily Tetranychinae, although it also feeds on young thrips and can be cannabilistic when spider mite prey is unavailable. Life Cycle P. persimilis eggs hatch in 2-3 days, and although the larval stage does not feed, the subsequent nymphs and adults feed on all stages of prey. Total time from egg to adult ranges from 25.2 days at 15°C (59°F) to 5.0 days at 30°C (86°F). The adult female may lay up to 60 eggs during her 50 day-long lifetime at 17-27°C. Generation times of from seven to 17 days are possible, depending on temperature and humidity. Due to its tropical origin,P. persimilis does not have a diapause stage and is active year-round in enclosed habitats such as interior plantscapes and greenhouses. I will keep this thread updated as I go and this may be a good option for anyone wanting to take organic growing to that next level. Cheers GLO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Thanks, GLO. Interested to see how this goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisenberg Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Goodluck gro. Im battling with webworms aswell and it's a pain to get rid of them! Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Leaf Organics Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Goodluck gro. Im battling with webworms aswell and it's a pain to get rid of them! Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk Those little green fuckers can be so destructive.... I have a batch of white widow autos that I was testing for Strainhunters that got infected with them. I used pyrol and manual labour to get rid of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Leaf Organics Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Right I am a happy man , my death squad has arrived! Took a bit longer than expected as I didn't realize that they had to come from Israel. I can't open the box until they are ready for release so i will take some more pics later. Cheers GLO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG420za Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I'd probably sit all day and watch those bitches die:-hilarious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisenberg Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Please film and narrate this attack if possible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacred Seeds Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I think a video clip is a brilliant idea! Please consider it @Reaf! The Death Squad needs an audience:-bow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Leaf Organics Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 I will do my best to get some footage. These guys are tiny lol youtube has a few clips of them if you want to go have a look so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spootch Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Ahoy glo where on earth did u get these from ! Yussi Im 5 weeks flower and the mites are wild ? Do you have any advise this far in ? Wanting to add another plant into the cupboard but need to get rid of the infestation some how ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Leaf Organics Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 Hi bud I will pm you the details. They work but for a major infestation it may be to late to use them but you can try. They worked well for me and not a mite in site. Cheers GLO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spootch Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Had a good inspection last nyt and turns out not as bad as I thought, I'm pretty late in flower now anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajcapetown Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Hey GLO Have you needed to order any more of these? A buddy of mine tried to place an order but the costs were crazy... Into the thousands. Remember yours weren't too expensive but wondered if you had a connection or if they made a mistake with your pricing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dabtzar Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Yes I'm curious on how they worked? What species did you get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Leaf Organics Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 They weren't to expencive I think i paid about R600 for 4000. I put the details of the bugs on the first post. For a specific applications they work well. They will die off in temps about 27 and if ypu have used an pesticides it will also kill them. For indoor applications I would rather go preventative with neem or pyrol. But for me they did the job it was late flower and they stopped the borg from destroying my crop. Personally I think they bare more suited for outdoor or greenhouse aplications Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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