Are you using the right type of predatory mite formulation for your situation? Did you know that by purchasing bottled products instead of sachets you could be costing yourself large amounts of money and pest protection?
We get a lot of questions asking what a predatory mite sachet is? How do they work? How long do they last? A predatory mite sachet is a small climate resistant packet containing a formulation of the predatory mite, a feeder mite for them to feed on, and a carrier, such as bran, which acts as a food source for the feeder mite. Predatory mite sachets are designed to maintain a high internal relative humidity to keep the bran moist so that the breeding system continues cycling for 3-8 weeks depending on the type of sachet. This is especially important when comparing to bottle applications, because in low humidity climates common with house plants or cannabis, eggs of predatory mites have difficulty hatching. For instance, only 50% of Amblyseius swirskii eggs will hatch below a RH humidity rate of 63%. This drastically decreases the chance of a second generation from developing on the plant while a sachet allows continued reproduction due to the higher humidity inside the sachet.
Bottle applications are typically only used to provide an immediate short-term predator mite boost due to an increase in pest pressure, or in situations where mites are unable to walk from plant to plant when a sachet is placed, such as when plants are not touching surrounding plants. Outside of these situations sachets are almost always the best choice for most growers.
Probably the most compelling reason to use predatory mite sachets over bottles in most situations is simply cost. The total number of predatory mites that walk out from the sachet is far better value for your money and better protections for your crop. Where bottled products are one-time releases, sachets provide a breeding system that releases a constant stream of predatory mites into the crop for weeks. For example, if you compare the total predatory mite walk out of most of our Swirski-Mite sachets to bottle formulation you find that bottled product works out to be 225% more expensive per mite released into the crop.
Predatory mite sachets aside from being substantially cheaper when it comes to the total number of mites released into your crop, are also a great way to prevent carrier material from contaminating your crop while providing a perfect environment for predator mite eggs to ripen and hatch ensuring long term release of mites into the plants you want to protect.
For more information on predatory mite sachets and bottled products available in Canada please visit the links below:
Here is our general link to our Swirskii Products: Amblyseius swirskii – Retail Koppert Canada
Here is our general link to our Spical Products: Neoseiulus californicus – Retail Koppert Canada
Here is our general link to our Spidex Products: Phytoseiulus persimilis – Retail Koppert Canada
Here is our general link to our application products: Application Products – Retail Koppert Canada
Other Predatory Mite Blog Posts:
Plus, Ulti-Mite or LD. Which Sachet is Best for You? – Retail Koppert Canada
Get Rid of Thrips Naturally Using Predator Mites! – Retail Koppert Canada