Biocultivation

Beneficial Blend Seed Mixture yields a wide variety of plants known to harbor beneficial insects. It can also be used to deter weeds or provide ground cover in unused areas. It is good for soil building, erosion control and has excellent drought resistance and tolerance for non-tillable, compacted, low fertility soils with high or low pH. Beneficial Blend Mix should be planted 0.25 – 0.50 inches deep in a good, fine seedbed since many flower and herb seeds are small. A well established stand will reseed and can last several years, which will add vigor to the perennial and biennial plants in the blend. Fall planting is best in a Mediterranean climate, giving plants time to establish in the rainy season.

A light planting rate of 10 lb per acre will establish 2-4 plants of each species per square foot. In orchards and vineyards, only one row of the Blend out of every 8-10 rows is needed.

Optimal for areas surrounding indoor grow areas and throughout outdoor grow areas. 

Stratiolaelaps simitus / Hypoaspis miles is a predatory mite that eats larva of fungus gnat. Also feeds on western flower thrips (WFT) pupae and springtail (especially in house plants). Lives in top layer of soil, feeds on small, soil-inhabiting insects, mites and all stages of springtails. Can adapt to many different growth media and capillary mats. No diapause: can be used year round. Active at temps > 54° F . Can survive low pest densities. Helps clean up greenhouses and mushroom production, as well as controlling mites on tarantulas, lizards and bees. Should not be applied to soil that has been treated with lime or copper sulfate mixtures. Atheta is a predator of Stratiolaelaps simitus; Stratiolaelaps simitus eats nematodes, good and bad. 10-13 L per acre OR 50 mites per 10 sq ft. Twice monthly, 2-5 times overall. Most effective applied prior to heavy infestations and for end of crop clean-up.

Shipped Wednesday, order by previous Friday

Neoseiulus fallacis (=Amblyseius fallacis), the field mite predator, targets TSSM, Pacific mite, European red mite, Bank’s grass mite. More cold tolerant than other predator mites – can overwinter under snow! Survives low prey level - good for prevention. Packaged in dry carrier (corn grit or vermiculite). Tolerates 48°- 85° F and 50-85% RH. Ideal conditions: 50°-80° F, > 60% RH. Diapauses with light < 16 hours, temp < 54° F. Supplemental light can prevent diapause. 3 per 10 sq ft OR In greenhouses 1 per sq ft or per plant. 2-3 releases a week apart in greenhouses. One release in mint may establish predators for years.

Shipped MTW. No same day orders

Eggs packaged in cups or bags of 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 eggs per unit. Cups contain only the eggs. Tiny larvae eat mites, mite eggs and insect eggs. Within about a week they start eating aphids. Release 2,000-3,000 eggs per acre every 2 weeks, 2-4 times OR 1 per 20 pests OR 2 per sq ft in greenhouses. Release when hatching begins: incubate cups or bags (ideal conditions 80º F, 60% RH), check each morning until tiny larvae appear in 1-4 days, sprinkle on plants directly or into paper cups placed in foliage.

Lacewing on cards are shipped with 2,500, 5,000 or 10,000 lacewing eggs glued on each card; cards are perforated to guide cutting or tearing into 30 of ¾ X 2 inch tabs with a hook on one end and containing about 86, 170 or 332 eggs. Cut and place tabs into vines, shrubs or trees when larvae begin to hatch. Tabs can also be placed inside small paper cups and either stapled to plants or hung by a knotted string (through bottom of cup). The cards can be further cut into smaller pieces for wider distribution.

Cardboard vertical honeycomb holds 400 larvae ready to feed on pests as soon as they hit the plant. Honeycomb unit has paper on one side, organdy mesh on the other, with one larva in each cell. Larvae can walk as far as 7 miles, ranging up to 100 feet while looking for pests. During 2-3 weeks of life, one lone lacewing larva can consume 250 leafhopper nymphs , 300-400 aphids, 11,200 spider mites, 3,780 coccid scale crawlers or 6,500 scale eggs. Interfering ants, waxy coatings or hard shells on pests and low temperatures deter lacewings from dining on and destroying pests. Remove organdy mesh from a few cells at a time, turn over, tap larvae onto plants near pest hotspots. Release ~20 larvae per plant. 

Eggs packaged in cups or bags of 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 eggs per unit. Cups contain only the eggs and bags contain rice hulls as a carrier. Tiny larvae eat mites, mite eggs and insect eggs. Within about a week they start eating aphids. Release 2,000-3,000 eggs per acre every 2 weeks, 2-4 times OR 1 per 20 pests OR 2 per sq ft in greenhouses. Release when hatching begins: incubate cups or bags (ideal conditions 80º F, 60% RH), check each morning until tiny larvae appear in 1-4 days, sprinkle on plants directly or into paper cups placed in foliage.

We carry yellow sticky cards that are sticky on both sides with peel-off coverings. For monitoring, hang every 250 square feet or, to trap emerging fungus gnats, hang horizontally over pots. Yellow attracts many insects including whitefly, winged aphid, shore fly, fungus gnat, leafminer and thrips. Note counts weekly and keep records to observe trends. Blue sticky cards are also available for attracting thrips and leafminer, especially if beneficials are attracted to yellow cards. Large sticky banners also available.

4 X 7 inch card. Seabright traps fold open to expose 4 X 14 inch sticky blue surface with grid for precision monitoring of thrips and leafminer. Approximately 30 sq inch adhesive area. Punched hole and twist-tie provided to easily hang trap. Easy to handle and count insects without getting sticky. To make more attractive to thrips, add a Thrips Lure (page 32) or drop of vanilla extract.