Cucumbers & Pest Control
Cucumbers are a fast-growing, high-value crop that are especially susceptible to pests like whiteflies, thrips, spider mites, and aphids. These pests can rapidly reduce plant vigor, fruit quality, and overall yield. Successful pest control in cucumbers relies on early scouting and the strategic use of biological control agents. Beneficial mites and insects—such as predatory mites, parasitic wasps, and entomopathogenic nematodes—offer an effective, chemical-free way to manage pest populations and support healthy plant development. An integrated pest management (IPM) approach ensures steady growth and consistent production throughout the season.
Monitoring & Mass Trapping
Yellow Horiver Wetstick cards and Yellow Horiver Rollertraps are essential tools for pest management in cucumber crops.
For monitoring purposes, hang one card every 20-40 square meters. If your growing space is smaller, ensure there are at least 4 cards per compartment. These sticky cards are crucial for detecting pests like thrips, whiteflies, aphids, and sciarid flies.
Check and assess the cards weekly to monitor pest populations. Additionally, perform thorough crop inspections from the soil to the canopy. Inspect the soil, stems, leaves, and joints for signs of pests. Always flip leaves to examine both upper and lower surfaces, especially targeting new and older growth where pests tend to hide.
For mass trapping, deploy Yellow Horiver Rollertraps or additional cards at a rate of 800 per acre or 100 every 500 meters square. Space them in a grid-style pattern throughout your crop at a height of 30cm. These traps effectively capture most flying insects, including aphids, thrips, whiteflies, moths, and fungus gnats, preventing them from reaching your plants.
This proactive trapping approach is your first and most crucial line of defense—stopping insect migration before it reaches your cucumbers.
Jump-to:
Thrips Control Products
Swirski-Mite Plus
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Preventative:
- One sachet every two metres sq.
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Elimination:
- One sachet every .75 square meters or 8 ft.
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Repeat Applications:
- Every 3 - 4 weeks
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Notes:
- Feeds on 1st instar thrips larvae.
Swirski Bulk
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Preventative:
- N/A
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Elimination:
- 50-300 predatory mites per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Bi-weekly or as needed
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Notes:
- Feeds on 1st instar thrips larvae. For extra support, when using the sachets.
Spider Mite Control Products
Spidex Vital
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Preventative:
- 10 predatory mites per square meter
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Elimination:
- 25-100 predatory mites per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites. Best used in preventative or light curative situations.
Spidex Vital Plus
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Preventative:
- 1 sachet per plant along post rows and side walls
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Elimination:
- 1-3 sachets per plant in hot spots
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites. Best used in preventative or light curative situations.
Spidex Red
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Preventative:
- N/A
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Elimination:
- 25-100 predatory mites per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites. Best used when you have hot spots with webbing.
Spidend
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Preventative:
- N/A
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Elimination:
- Apply 1 tube of 250 insects per hot spot
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Repeat Applications:
- Apply 1 tube weekly for 3-4 weeks
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Notes:
- The larvae of this product feeds on all stages of spider mites. Best used when you have hot spots with webbing.
Spical Plus
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Preventative:
- One sachet every 2 square meters
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Elimination:
- One sachet every .75 square meters or 8 ft.
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Repeat Applications:
- Every 3 - 4 weeks
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Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites. Best used in preventative situations, as this predatory mite does not like walking in spider mite webbing.
Whitefly Control Products
Enermix
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Preventative:
- 1.5 parasitic wasps per square meter
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Elimination:
- 10-15 parasitic wasps per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as whitefly pupae changing color, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
The goal is to achieve 80% parasitism. Due to the nature of parasitoids, you will never reach 100% parasitism. Leave the deleafed leaves on the floor if parasitism rate is above 50%. This allows the parasitic wasps to continue to emerge from removed leaves.
- This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as whitefly pupae changing color, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
Enstrip
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Preventative:
- 1.5 parasitic wasps per square meter
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Elimination:
- 10-15 parasitic wasps per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Use this product when you are growing in cooler conditions (below 77°F (25°C) and in lower dispersed whitefly situations as they live longer so they can oviposit eggs over a longer duration.
This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as whitefly pupae changing color, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
The goal is to achieve 80% parasitism. Due to the nature of parasitoids, you will never reach 100% parasitism. Leave the deleafed leaves on the floor if parasitism rate is above 50%. This allows the parasitic wasps to continue to emerge from removed leaves.
- Use this product when you are growing in cooler conditions (below 77°F (25°C) and in lower dispersed whitefly situations as they live longer so they can oviposit eggs over a longer duration.
Ercal
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Preventative:
- 1.5 parasitic wasps per square meter
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Elimination:
- 10-15 parasitic wasps per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Use this product in warmer temperatures, typically above 77°F (25°C). It also responds more quickly to high-pressure whitefly situations because they oviposit all their eggs over a shorter period than Encarsia.
This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as whitefly pupae changing color, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
The goal is to achieve 80% parasitism. Due to the nature of parasitoids, you will never reach 100% parasitism. Leave the deleafed leaves on the floor if parasitism rate is above 50%. This allows the parasitic wasps to continue to emerge from removed leaves.
- Use this product in warmer temperatures, typically above 77°F (25°C). It also responds more quickly to high-pressure whitefly situations because they oviposit all their eggs over a shorter period than Encarsia.
Yellow Horiver Wetstick Cards
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Preventative:
- One card per metre sq.
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Elimination:
- Two cards per metre sq.
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Repeat Applications:
- Replace cards when full
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Notes:
- Hang 30 cm above crop
Aphid Control Products
Aphipar
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Preventative:
- 1 wasp per square meter
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Elimination:
- 2 - 5 wasps per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Controls the Cotton Aphid, Tobacco Aphid, and the Green Peach Aphid. This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as aphids turning into mummies, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
Aphipar
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Preventative:
- 1 wasp per square meter
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Elimination:
- 2 - 5 wasps per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Controls the Cotton Aphid, Tobacco Aphid, and the Green Peach Aphid. This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as aphids turning into mummies, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
Ervipar
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Preventative:
- 1 wasp per square meter
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Elimination:
- 2 - 5 wasps per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Controls the Potato Aphid, Tobacco Aphid, and the Foxglove Aphid. This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as aphids turning into mummies, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
Aphilin
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Preventative:
- 1 parasitic wasp per square meter
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Elimination:
- 2-5 parasitic wasps per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Controls the Potato Aphid, Foxglove Aphid, and the Green Peach Aphid. This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as aphids turning into mummies, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
Aphidend
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Preventative:
- N/A
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Elimination:
- 5-10 gall midges per square meter
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Generalist beneficial insect that feeds on all aphid species. This product starts working as soon as it is introduced to the plants. However, visible results, such as aphids turning into mummies, will become noticeable after 14-21 days.
Fungus Gnat Control Products
Entomite
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Preventative:
- 50-100 mites per square meter
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Elimination:
- N/A
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Repeat Applications:
- One application at planting
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Notes:
- Feeds on fungus gnat eggs and larvae.
Yellow Horiver Wetstick Cards
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Preventative:
- N/A
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Elimination:
- Two cards per meters square
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Repeat Applications:
- Replace cards when full
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Notes:
- Hang underneath the canopy near the soil line to capture flying adults.
Entonem
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Preventative:
- N/A
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Elimination:
- 100,000 per square meter for sawdust or coco bags
150,000-200,000 per square meter for rockwool
- 100,000 per square meter for sawdust or coco bags
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Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
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Notes:
- Works on fungus gnat larvae.
Atheta
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Preventative:
- 5 predatory beetles per square meter
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Elimination:
- N/A
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Repeat Applications:
- One Application at planting
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Notes:
- Feeds on fungus gnat eggs and larvae.
Caterpillar Control Products
Cucumbers Solutions by Pest:
