Beneficial Insects

[tregar92]

So a month ago my babies were attacked by a pest problem(Spider mites) i tried a bunch of different treatments but nothing worked. Now the last thing any one wants to do is use harmful chems to rid the bugs but i think i found a better solution. Lady bugs!! With all the negative buzz about bugs on this thread i thought i'd give a shout out to the good ones. SO if you've ever used Beneficial Insects post it! Tell us how well it worked and for what problem. Who knows i might need that info one day lol and everyone know natural remedies are the best. BTW lady bugs are doing awe some reduced the bad bugs in just a couple days should have em all gone hopefully

 

[vostok]

Screw that, theres no such thin as a 'Beneficial Insect' some help, some don't, but all good and bad bring virus's into and onto the plants, even a mosquito can bring a virus Pythium into a grow room and wreak havoc in 24 hours, some are good defenders acting as sentries on 'healthy' plants, but if the enemy is in the camp you gotta NUKE the camp, you don't send in any Special Forces as its too late ...please use your head! as the Mites using his!

 

[Andrew2112]

I tried using predatory mutes and lady bugs but the lady bugs didn't seems to eat much and the predatory mites died. It was too hot and dry in the room, so make sure you have a humidifier and keep it cool then they should thrive. Plus, spider mites hate when it's cool and a little humid, they love dry heat. Have you tried neem or azamax? Hope it works out for you Keep it green

 

[yktind]

Fuck Spider Mites. Kill Them All.

I use Dr Doom. Before the start of my flowering. I also use Azamax all throughout Veg. But Dr. Doom will kill them on the spot!

 

[dannyboy602]

Screw that, theres no such thin as a 'Beneficial Insect' some help, some don't, but all good and bad bring virus's into and onto the plants, even a mosquito can bring a virus Pythium into a grow room and wreak havoc in 24 hours, some are good defenders acting as sentries on 'healthy' plants, but if the enemy is in the camp you gotta NUKE the camp, you don't send in any Special Forces as its too late ...please use your head! as the Mites using his!

mosquitoes don't feed on plants and they don't carry pythium.

I tried using predatory mutes and lady bugs but the lady bugs didn't seems to eat much and the predatory mites died. It was too hot and dry in the room, so make sure you have a humidifier and keep it cool then they should thrive. Plus, spider mites hate when it's cool and a little humid, they love dry heat. Have you tried neem or azamax? Hope it works out for you Keep it green

good point about the humidity and temps for mites


predator mites feed on mite larvae in the soil, not the adult mites on leaves and stems. lady bugs will feed on anything but the species of lady bug sent to you is an asian one and they are also eatting larvae of our native lady beetles. once the food supply is gone they fly away. i still advocate them in the grow room however but don't recommend lady beetles outdoors anymore. any horticultural oil used at even a low rate works on mite babies. even alcohol works. adult mites are best treated in veg and with floromite or forbid, in my own experience, but growers also recommend azamax. i haven't used it.

 

[vostok]

mosquitoes don't feed on plants and they don't carry pythium.

http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/factsheets../tp_05_fungusgnats.html is the place

 

[dannyboy602]

^^^thx for the link. didn't find any info on mosquitoes and pythium. mb you meant to say fungus gnats?

 

[Ace Yonder]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Predatory Nematodes, Spiders, or Praying Mantises. Granted Spiders and Mantises are best for outdoor gardens, they still pull their weight keeping the baddies away, and Nematodes are like a biological miracle when it comes to in-soil pest control

 

[Fuzzywuzz]

Screw that, theres no such thin as a 'Beneficial Insect' some help, some don't, but all good and bad bring virus's into and onto the plants, even a mosquito can bring a virus Pythium into a grow room and wreak havoc in 24 hours, some are good defenders acting as sentries on 'healthy' plants, but if the enemy is in the camp you gotta NUKE the camp, you don't send in any Special Forces as its too late ...please use your head! as the Mites using his!

plz do not post false information.

1. Pythium is not a virus, it IS an Oomycete that causes root rot (fungus not virus)
2. The literature on fungus gnats spreading root rots is a bit inconclusive. there are several published papers showing spread and several showing no spread.
3. there are beneficial insects. Beneficial insects DO NOT spread plant viruses. They do not feed on plants and thus can not mechanically transmit the virus into the plant.

examples of beneficial insects used commercially for food production.

Phytoseiulus persimilis - this guy feeds on and ONLY on Tetranychus mites aka spider mites
aphidius colemani - aphid parasitiod.
hypoaspis miles (name just changed to stratiolaelaps-scimitus-womersley) predatory soil mite, mainly controls fungus gnats.
[h=2]Aphidoletes aphidimyza - pradates on aphids[/h][h=2]Orius insidiosus - general predator. mainly controls Thrips[/h][h=2]Amblyseius cucumeris - thrips predator[/h]amblyseius-swirskii - whitefly control

the list goes on and on.......

now on to your comment about having to nuke the camp before things get out of hand... this is somewhat correct. biocontrol or the use of beneficial insects of microbes is not an immediate control measure as spraying pesticides are. BUT they are very effective if you find the pest early and release as soon as you can. Or realease high numbers of the beneficial to overwhelm the pest. Most good growers release beneficial's as both a control measure AND preventative before they see any pests.

 

[rootchild]

Thank you Fuzzywuzz for providing actual knowledge!.. rather than misinformed opinion presented as information.