I know this isn't the correct forum for garden foes, but I was wondering if anyone has tried predatory mites for mite control after much obsessing over my mite woes the cost of introducing mite predators seems comparable to any of the current quality chemical controls Plus it doesn't seem to be toxic to other beneficial insects I inadvertently sprayed a praying mantis the other day and felt so bad I washed him off and tried to save his (or her )life i really hate chemical pesticides
predatory mites
I tried the predatory mites a few years ago.. theiruse doesn't eliminate them in any manner... it just introduces an ecco system forthem to be a part of...
first you match your humidity with the diffrent predatory mites preferences.. SO..you introduce your matched predator to your mites and plants.. these knock down heavy infestations.. and the predators increase as they do so.. to the point where there is a decrease in your mites...as this food is removed from the predators.. their numbers decrease... to the point where the origional mite population can again increase...to be knocked down by the preadotors you'll always have mites this way.. no doubt about it..
Gordon
Thanks for the info.aparently living with brugs means living with mites oh well,My biggest concern is broad mites this winter in the green house I've had a terrible time with them,guess I will just spend the money on a quality miticide.
This seems to help on whiteflys - I don't know about mites tho - but can't hurt - for plants in the ground , I hand scatter and water [ every 3 or 4 months or so ] For pots - I mix in 1 gallon water jug , put in car and a day or 2 day it is mixed up and I put on / in pots - seems like I always have them [ 3 -1 gallon jugs in car ]
---
Epson Salts = 1/2 cup in a gallon of water and drench ground a day or 2 before planting . Helps the plant built up a resistance to whiteflys - its really doesn’t make plant more resistant - it messes with their reproductive cycle .
Thanks for the info.aparently living with brugs means living with mites oh well,My biggest concern is broad mites this winter in the green house I've had a terrible time with them,guess I will just spend the money on a quality miticide. I thought maybe the N. Californicus which they claim can live on pollen would keep suficiant numbers to keep the mites under control at least in out door conditions but I think I will take your word for it. broad mites have been a major problem for me in the winter. maybe it was just because I had never heard of them before and the damage was done before I even knew what was going on
ted, I put some brugs in my chicken yard, the brugs were almost dead - the ground was excellent, but 'Bantam scratched', frequently, so, since the brugs appeared to be goners anyway, I planted them really deep, they were just sticks, buggy sticks, and I didn't want them around the brugs without bugs. Well, glory be, those chickens apparently ate all their bugs and the brugs are blooming, and the baby chicks climb up the brugs and roost, the brug limbs bending more each day as the baby chicks get fatter. Pretty cute. I take a couple of chicks over into my garden and put them out to scratch any place that looks buggy. I had some whitefly on one bush, a hardy hibiscus, and the chicks cleaned it up. One of the baby chicks, 'Fly', is a great fly catcher and tiny enough that she doesn't hurt the plants. Heavens, I hope the chicks don't go after one of our mantis, they really work on the bugs too, I wish I had more!! Good luck!!
Sherrylike
Just don't talk about cute...I wanna see cute.Can you post picture?Puuullleeeeze??
Tednugent
the mites must be addicted to the poison in the brugs,
and since I am addicted to brugs, I will do whatever whenever
to rid my plants of those nasty critters.
I know using hose end sprayer while feeding with added lemon dish soap keeps them at a lower, tolerable level. I use wetable sulfur early spring on plants and soil and again before they come in for winter.
Why, thank you, Dedda!!! I'll try to get a current photo when my grand girls are available, 'the three twins' (one is my grand niece) are cheerleaders and they had late practice today. Maybe tomorrow, but there is a game, it's really difficult to work stuff in with their schedules. We added two baby, 8 week, ducks to our menagerie yesterday, they are adorable, were hatched and raised in a coop, off the ground, and they have gone crazy in freedom on the ground, every step is unexplored and they are supremely happy and so are we...
Well, they aren't as cute as Sherry's Bantums, but the chick-a-dees go thru my brugs and seem to be cleaning them up. They hop from limb to limb. I imagine they are getting aphids but I don't know about any mites.
btw Sherry, remember you telling me about Volck Oil? I finally found some the other day. What ratio to water do I use for puting the plants to bed in the basement? It is getting that time of year.
It was 32 the other night.
Jeanette
Oh, Jnette, chick-a-dees are the most precious birds in the world, they are my absolute favorite. Over the years we have rescued any number of chick-a-dees, always babies, whose parents are frantic when they start flying lessons - usually the problem is rain and they become water logged, we dry them and reunite them with their HAPPY parents. Of the wild birds, it seems that chick-a-dees get along best with humans.
I cannot remember the recipe for Volck Oil, but if you will google Volic Oil directions, I think you will be able to find it. I REALLY like Volck and the next real cool snap, I'm going to use it on the brugs for the bubbler. It works best for me to spray them before they are cut, then maybe another spray, down the line, after they are cut, with all the leafs off.
I cannot believe you are freezing already, that is soooooo early. From now, until about the middle of next June, I love the weather here, even when it's freezing, which is a laugh, considering your really cold weather. Who knows, we might have a winter this year too - that's why I'll always keep at least one bubbler running...happy Thursday, hope you have a swell weekend!!!
The Volck Oil has directions on the bottle but I didn't know if it would be too strong for brugs. It says for "woody" plants like fruit trees. Also, it says not to use on non-woody plants unless otherwise stated. I think I will write to Ortho and ask them specifically abut brugs.
Got a nice email from Blaine yesterday and his plants are gorgeous as usual. Sure do miss him on Dave's.
Until last year , I sprayed everything with Volck oil . Last year , I read about Neem oil here .
Volck oil is considered a heavy oil and Neem is a lite oil .
I used it for whiteflys , scale , aphids , wooly aphids -- it covers ant trails and I used to spray when they said it's going to be in low 30's tonight .
I put one cup of volck in an ortho hose end sprayer and add from 2 capfuls to 3 oz of rubbing alcohol . The colder it is the more alcohol .
Then set sprayer on 4 tablespoons and spray till it drips off leaves .
my notes on oils
Alcohol =Alcohol is mixed [ 1/ 2 cup to 1/ 2 teaspoon
of Volck or Neem oil ] twice a week apart . Volck oil is used
as a sticking agent or [ 1/ 2 cup to 1/ 2 teaspoon of
Insecticidal soap ] soap is used as a sticking agent
Palmolive soap also works or Alcohol is used as a thinning agent to help oil cover better .
From what I understand ,
alcohol washes wax off bugs and they dry out and die .
it thins out the neem or volck oil so it covers better and smothers the bug .
It gets in the bugs joints and burns /blisters them so they can't move .
It tells plant [ the alcohol ] that there is fermenting fruit , seeds ,or leaves and to produce more toxins .
It tells plant [ the alcohol ] that there is a cut or tear in leaf and to start the scaring over process
It burns it's way into eggs and they die and or allows the oil to smother whatever is in the eggs .
It is supposed to wash away ant trails so they can't find there way back to aphids .
It washes and kills the black smut / soot from aphids off plants .
Voleck/Neem works in my zone 8a, southeast Arky - I'm in a pesky zone, one which takes no survivors!! I'm fortunate to have gurus, local growers, who purchase some plants and grow others, large scaled operations. They use Neem, across the board, when it's hot, and Voleck, across the board, for plants going in the GH. Works for me too; however, I would suggest that those seeking information would look to experienced growers that are located as close to where you live as possible. I learned the hard way, right off, that I could not duplicate conditions in other zones and that what works for say, the magical zone 5a or zone CA or coastal areas, does NOT work in zone 8a in southeast Arky. It is my hope that I will be able to figure out, what in the world I can grow, other than cotton, beans (soy) and rice...
I hear what you are saying Sherry, however, the people in my zone just give me a blank stare when I even ask for the products. The lady I got the Volck oil from told me it was the wrong time of year to use it.
Now, how do you like them apples?
When I asked for Castor Oil from most of them, they offered me, can't think of the name of it, the other oil our mothers many years ago used to give us to loosen our bowels???
When I asked for Amonium Nitrate for decomposing my strawbales, they started yelling that I was going to make a bomb.
So you see, that is why I resort to asking for help from the people on this site. AND, I kinda thought that was what it was for. This site. For help.
Jeanette
probably Cod Liver oil - that stuff stinks - draws ants , birds and , cats [ not caterpillars . ]
I also tried peanut and vegetable oil - just made a mess . [ on all my plants - not just brugs ]
LOL, Tony you're a hoot!! Are you going to cook them? I don't spray the Castor oil on anything but the ground. So the moles don't want to dig there. I am going to spray my brugs with the Volck oil tho. It is a dormant spray. I just don't know whether to use the full strength as the label says because they say to use it on fruit trees etc (Woody plants). And not to use it on anything other than what they list on their label.