Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Gurr
It looks as if this is Amblysieus californicus. I tried this last year from
Ladybird Plantcare - online shop for Biological Controls as I had previously tried Phytoseilus, and up
here in the far north, the temperature is too low for Pytoseilus to be
effective. It takes a little time to get going but worked very well on my
peaches and apricots under glass. I spoke to Ladybird Plant Care and they
told me that there is evidence that Amblysieus can overwinter. Because of
this, I have not sprayed with 'tar oil winter wash' this year so will wait
to see what happens. It is a bit pricey at £49 per tub but this will last
all summer in a 16x12 greenhouse. The 'dragonfli' mites are cheaper, but
there is no indication as to how many you get or the coverage - in fact very
little information at all. One major advantage with Amblysieus is that it
will feed on other food sources (even pollen) if it eats all the red spider
mite. |
How far north are you?
I'm not far north, just Yorkshire. I found Phytoselius worked well in 2005 and 2006. But 2006 was the last time that we had a summer. I had no success in 2007 and 2008 and had come to the conclusion that it was a temperature thing, so glad of your comments on this.
Please keep us informed on how you get on with Amblysieus - if it does overwinter, it's worth considering, but £49 is a bit too expensive for a season's growth.
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