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Mite-A™ for Thrips Control
Mite-A™ is a highly active predator of thrips, especially onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, Western flower trips, Frankliniella occidentalis, New Zealand flower thrips, Thrips obscuratus and other thrips species. Mite-A™will also eat two spotted spider mite and other mite species, including broad mites. PRICE: $10.00 per litre (10,000 mites per litre, mimimum order) plus GST and Freight
Beneficial Invertebrates
Mite-A™ is known to be useful on greenhouse crops such as cucumber, capsicums and ornamental plants as part of an integrated pest management programme. Used primarily for controlling thrips, this species can also be used to control broad mites, cyclamen mites, European red mites and citrus red mites, although higher release rates are required.
Same week delivery is not guaranteed as products are subject to availability. If unsure, please contact Bioforce directly, although be assured that we always aim to deliver as promptly as possible.
Products will only be sent on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and will not be sent on public holidays. Orders placed after 1pm on Wednesday will likely be sent the following week. Please contact Bioforce directly by phone if immediate delivery is required, and we will endeavour to accommodate you. As these products are live organisms, it is important that they arrive quickly to their destination, and we do not send when it is possible they will be in transit over a weekend. Next day delivery is not guaranteed and customers should follow up with CourierPost using the tracking information provided on dispatch.
Bioforce will contact the purchaser advising you of the intended sending date, but only if products will not be shipped within the week of purchase. Please do not purchase the product online if you are unsure, however if the product has been purchased and you are unhappy with the delivery date, we will happily refund you the full amount. Please contact us immediately to complete this, as there will be no refunds once the goods have been sent.
Mite-A™ feeds on the early larval stages of thrips, consuming 1-3 thrips per day depending on temperature and humidity. This reduces the number of thrips in the crop slowly, and so an immediate reduction in adult numbers may not be apparent.
Mite-A™ also feeds on other mites, such as mould mites, and on the eggs and early stages of two-spotted spider mite. It can be used as a preventative measure for spider mites.
Mite-A™ can use pollen as a food source which helps it survive under low prey conditions. Capsicums and other crops provide a ready pollen source, but if pollen is too plentiful, this can reduce the effectiveness this predator.
Mite-A™ is not considered harmful to humans and animals, and no environmental impacts are expected.
Mite-A™ can sometimes cause compatibility issues with Mite-E™ spider mite control, however this is generally only the case when Mite-A™ populations are very high.
Can be supplied in slow release sachets (LARGE COMMERCIAL ORDERS ONLY), please contact us directly for a quote.
Broadcast application
- Outdoor crops
- Minimum of 25 ml mite mixture per m2 sprinkled carefully on the leaves of the crop.
- Greenhouse/Indoor crops
- Application of 1 litre mite mix per 50-100 m2, sprinkled carefully on the leaves of the crop.
- A repeat application 2 weeks later is recommended to ensure establishment
- High value or thrips susceptible crops benefit from weekly or fortnightly applications
- Can provide some protection from two spotted mites (TSM) when TSM densities are low
- To control broad mites and cyclamen mites (Steneotarsonemus pallidus) on strawberries, it is recommended to apply at least 1 Mite-A™ per 10 pest mites, around 1 litre per 25-50m2
Sachets contain approximately 30 ml or 5 g of bran mixture with a minimum of 300 predatory mites per sachet, and mould mites which act as a source of food for the predators.
Neither Mite-A™ or the mould mites damage living plants.
Once received:
- Do not expose to direct sunlight
- Keep in darkness and in a cool environment – ideal temperature 10-15 ° C.
- DO NOT REFRIGERATE
- Apply to the crop as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days
An immediate effect on thrips populations is usually not observed, as feeding by the predator is mostly restricted to early immature stages of thrips.
Thrips populations should be closely monitored to determine whether additional Mite-A™ need to be released, or a selective chemical application is needed to reduce adult thrips number.
Before introducing Mite-A™ into your crop please check residual chemical affects and ensure you know chemical compatibilities of products that may be applied.
A list of compatible pesticides and withholding periods can be found in the publication ‘The Good Bug Book’ Second Edition (2002), Editor Richard Llewellyn. Excerpts of the book can be obtained from the Cucumeris page of the Australasian Biological Control Association website, click here then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the PDF link.
