MANCHIL IPM SERVICES

Tips For Releasing Benificials

To obtain excellent results follow these steps

1.    Check chemical toxicity sheet and check what chemicals you have sprayed over the last 5 weeks, and determine if the residue has broken down. Prior use of Nitofol means that you cannot release for 28 days in outside crops, and 56 days (twice as long) for greenhouse or strawberry crops under plastic covers (cloche).

2.        Each bag or bucket of predators will contain around 100 bean or strawberry leaves. The leaves contain between 30-100 females, males, nymphs and eggs and also some two-spotted mites for the predator’s food supply while in transit and to enable good establishment. Without two-spotted mite on the leaves, the predators would have disappeared by the time of release or would have eaten themselves as there would be no food source.

3.        Most important areas to place predators

                   *Start and end of all rows.

                   *along eastern walls in greenhouse, as they warm up first,   

                   *where previous mite hotspots have appeared before,

                   *and where mites are in high numbers (hotspots).

4.        It is very useful to mark some release sites with silver spray paint, this allows easy monitoring of the predator’s activity in the first few weeks after release.

5. Be careful to wash out spray-tanks if any highly or moderately toxic chemicals have been used. If unsure check the toxicity sheet.

Watch drift when spraying adjacent crops or other varieties with toxic or moderately toxic chemicals, as it may result in the death of the predator population.

Try not to apply any sprays for at least 4-7 days after release.

Rates for release

Strawberries

One bag should cover 10000 plants, depending on mite levels.

Four plants per bed.

Place 1 leaf within the strawberry bush every 4-5 steps along the row, and alternate the sides of the beds. Place leaf on the bed to the left, walk 4-5 steps, then place a leaf on the bed to the right side. Continue this procedure until the end of the row. Use every second walkway so that every strawberry bed receives predatory mites.

Two plants per bed.

Place 1 leaf every 9-10 steps down the row within the strawberry bush and alternate the sides of the beds.

Roses

Place a leaf at the start and end of every row and also along the rows on the edges of the house. Place 1 leaf every 2-3 steps down the row within the rose bush and alternate the sides of the beds. Move up every second walkway, so every rose bed receives predatory mites.

Cucumbers

Place a leaf at the start and end of every row and also along the rows on the edges of the house. Place 1 leaf every 8-10 steps down the row within the cucumber bush and alternate the sides of the bed. Move up every second walkway, so every bed receives predatory mites.

Capsicum

Place leaves on the top of the plant were the mites build up quickly.

Place a leaf at the start and end of every row and also along the rows on the edges of the house or block. Place 1 leaf every 6-8 steps down the row within the Capsicum bush and alternate the side of the beds. . Move up every second walkway, so every bed receives predatory mites.

Gerberas

Place a leaf at the start and end of every row and also along the rows on the edges of the house. Place 1 leaf every 8-10 steps down the row within the Gerberas bush and alternate the side of the beds. Move up every second walkway, so every bed receives predatory mites.

Stone fruit