Ramping up thrips biocontrol BEFORE they get out of control!

WFT on hibiscus_Caitlin McDonald_1 — Western flower thrips adult on an open Mandevilla flower. Photo credit: Caitlin MacDonald, USEL student.

Now that the warm weather is finally upon us, it’s time to start worrying about thrips control.

What we’ve learned over the years is that pesticides just don’t cut it – the only reliable chemical for western flower thrips in Ontario is DDVP, which requires constant application. This means biological control is your best bet. Here’s a summary of the most effective tools, tricks, and timing, to ensure your biocontrol dollars are well spent.

Continue reading “Ramping up thrips biocontrol BEFORE they get out of control!” →

Can you safely mix nematodes and pesticides?

Entomopathogenic nematodes – used to control fungus gnats, shoreflies and thrips – are often a “gateway bio” into biocontrol use in greenhouses. This is because not only are they effective and easy to use, but they’re generally compatible with insecticide use. Readily applied with regular spray equipment or through drip lines, nematodes can even be tanked mixed with pesticides to save on labour costs.

In this post, I’ll share some of my research at NC State, looking at which commonly used pesticides in Canadian and U.S. greenhouses are safe to use with nematodes.

Continue reading “Can you safely mix nematodes and pesticides?” →

Snack attack: how to help prevent your thrips bios from eating one another

Effective biocontrol programs for western flower thrips often use multiple natural enemies. These include predatory mites like N. cucumeris or A. swirskii, but also generalist predators like Atheta and Orius, which can feed on mite eggs and nymphs.

So, how can you make sure your generalist predators aren’t just eating all your predatory mites, instead of your thrips? Continue reading “Snack attack: how to help prevent your thrips bios from eating one another” →

Thrips workshop info up on web

The most current information on thrips and whitefly IPM is now at your fingertips at greenhouseipm.org.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend Vineland’s in-depth Thrips IPM Workshops this November, all the 411 is now up on GreenhouseIPM.org.

Here are the things you missed:

Preventing thrips ; Controlling thrips in propagation ; Monitoring for thrips successfully ; Improving mass-trapping with lures ; Using mites effectively ; Biopesticides for thrips ;How to keep your thrips bios happy ; Checking the quality of your bios ; Controlling thrips with pesticides? ; Thrips case-study in mums ; Economics of thrips biocontrol ; Effects of fertilizers and biostimulants on thrips