How To Manage Parvispinus, Oleander Aphid and Spider Mites Effectively in Mandevilla: Part 1 – Propagation.

When Thrips parvispinus first came on the scene in Ontario, our one goal was to knock back this pest any way we could. Four years later, we are suffering the effects of an all-chemical program. This includes high costs, along with insecticide resistance developing in two-spotted spider mite, which used to be managed biologically before Parvipsinus came along.

Based on OMAFA’s work with commercial farms, along with input from technical reps from biocontrol companies, we’ve come up with a more refined IPM program for Mandevilla that balances Parvispinus control while taking into consideration other pests, as well as costs.

I’ll be going over this program in detail over a 3 part series, so buckle up!

Continue reading “How To Manage Parvispinus, Oleander Aphid and Spider Mites Effectively in Mandevilla: Part 1 – Propagation.”

REMINDER: GrowON Webinar TOMORROW on Nematode Application and Efficacy!

On Wednesday, December 17th, please join Greg Bryant , Technical Lead at Beneficial Insectary, for an hour-long exploration of what nematodes can do, if you treat them right.

To attend, please continue reading and click on the registration link in the webinar poster or at the end of the post.

Continue reading “REMINDER: GrowON Webinar TOMORROW on Nematode Application and Efficacy!”

GrowON Webinar, December 17: Worms at War – Maximizing Nematode Efficacy for Greenhouse and Nursery Crops.

As December winds down, thoughts are now turning to spring crops. This can include spring bedding crops or nursery plants coming out of their winter sleep. Both of these can bring onslaughts of pests like thrips, fungus gnats, shore flies and even weevils. Nematodes are an important natural enemy in fighting these pests, and are often the gateway into using more biocontrol. But are you using them to the best of their abilities?

Please join Greg Bryant , Technical Lead at Beneficial Insectary, for an hour-long exploration of what nematodes can do, if you treat them right.

To attend, please continue reading and click on the registration link in the webinar poster or at the end of the post.

Continue reading “GrowON Webinar, December 17: Worms at War – Maximizing Nematode Efficacy for Greenhouse and Nursery Crops.”

Lewis Mites 2025 – a Poinsettia Problem that’s Here to Stay?

Lewis mite damage on poinsettia. Photo by OMAFA.

Let’s face it: although Lewis mites (Eotetranychus lewisi) used to be more of a cyclical pest, this mite has been consistently bad in poinsettia the last few years. As regular Lewis mite infestations now seem to be the new normal in poinsettia, this week is the time to to start thinking about your pest control plan for Lewis mite.

Whether you choose the preventive route or the wait-and-see approach, knowing which strategies and chemicals are working is critical. Read on for tips on dipping to prevent mites along and what we learned from last year‘s chemical approaches. 

Continue reading “Lewis Mites 2025 – a Poinsettia Problem that’s Here to Stay?”

Garden Mum Refresher 2025: Managing Nutrients, Size Tracking, and PGRs

This post was contributed to by OMAFA’s Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialists past and present: Kathryn Russell, Abigail Wiesner, and Dr. Chevonne Dayboll.

As we feel temperatures rising, summer is on its way – and so are garden mums! Although generally an easy crop, there are several tweaks you can make to help save headaches AND money. This post has updated information to help you optimize your nutrient management and growth regulation/tracking in garden mum production.

Continue reading “Garden Mum Refresher 2025: Managing Nutrients, Size Tracking, and PGRs”

Updates on Fungus Gnat Control in Greenhouse Ornamentals 2024

Fungus gnats and shoreflies will always be a nuisance in greenhouse crops and, at high levels, potentially damage roots and transmit certain plant pathogens. Recently, key pesticides for these pest have been lost, either through de-registration or via production decisions from manufacturers. Read on to see options for controlling fungus gnats in greenhouse crops.

Continue reading “Updates on Fungus Gnat Control in Greenhouse Ornamentals 2024”

Lewis mites! 2024 Updates in Poinsettia

lewis mite_UCANR
Lewis mite.  Photo from University of California.

Lewis mite is one of those pests that seems to go in cycles – some years we don’t see it at all, and some years I get reports as early as August.

This year there seems to be scattered reports. Given that Lewis mite populations can ramp up in a warm fall and rear their ugly heads in October, it seemed like a good time for an update on what’s working, and what’s not.

Continue reading “Lewis mites! 2024 Updates in Poinsettia”

Poinsettia Pests 2024: Whitefly, Mealybugs and Other Pests

Poinsettia are being potted up and pest issues are already popping up! Read on to see what pests growers in Ontario are seeing, and what to do about them.

Continue reading “Poinsettia Pests 2024: Whitefly, Mealybugs and Other Pests”

“How-to” Video of the Week: Checking the Quality of Predatory Mite Sachets

The “walk-out” technique to assess predatory mite sachets. Details on how to do this (and why!) are in the video. Photo by R. Buitenhuis.

In this week’s “how-to” video, we’ll continue exploring how to assess the quality of the biocontrol agents you receive.

This video focuses on a staple of thrips control – predatory mite sachets. These can be a bit trickier to assess than loose product, but it’s important to use the right technique to avoid underestimating the quality of sachets (something even I’ve been guilty of).

Keep reading to find the link to the video and additional resources.

Continue reading ““How-to” Video of the Week: Checking the Quality of Predatory Mite Sachets”

“How-to” Video of the Week: Checking the Quality of Parasitic Wasps

An Encarsia wasp emerging from a whitefly.

Poinsettia (and whitefly) season is almost upon us! So we thought it was fitting that this week’s “how-to” video focuses on on-farm quality control tests of parasitic wasps.

We’ve also got a few videos on how to scout your poinsettia crop for whitefly and implementing a whitefly biocontrol program. Although these are older videos, they still have lots of relevant info, especially for those newer to whitefly biocontrol programs.

Keep reading for the videos and links to further readings.

Continue reading ““How-to” Video of the Week: Checking the Quality of Parasitic Wasps”