Predatory Insects

[Oscarman]

Hi, me again...........

This one is for those of you growing in enclosed spaces, like greenhouses, indoor plant rooms, etc.

Is anyone using predatory insects as a form of pest control? If you are, I am very interested to hear the details. What are you using and what are you controlling. Is this method of insect control effective in an orchid growing environment?

Cheers,

[littlefrog]

Originally Posted by Oscarman

Hi, me again...........

This one is for those of you growing in enclosed spaces, like greenhouses, indoor plant rooms, etc.

Is anyone using predatory insects as a form is pest control? If you are, I am very interested to hear the details. What are you using and what are you controlling. Is this method of insect control effective in an orchid growing environment?

Cheers,

I am using predatory mites to control spider-mites. Jury is still out on the effectiveness. I had tried several other methods of 'control' this summer before I broke down and applied the predators, so my catasetinae leaves were pretty toast by that time. I haven't seen much additional 'toasting' in the last month, but it is also getting near the end of the season for me and the leaves should be dropping naturally in the next month or so. So it will be difficult to tell. I'll apply predators earlier in the season next year (stupid spidermites...), and see how that works out. I really hope they work.

I did try green lacewings in the greenhouse. I released larvae in march (or april, maybe). Never saw a feeding lacewing or any adults in the greenhouse. So either they moved outside, or didn't establish. I won't be repeating that experiment. I haven't seen the typical asian ladybug swarm on the side of my house yet, but I'm thinking of harvesting a few thousand and releasing them inside the greenhouse. I have seen a few asian ladybugs in the greenhouse already, and they seem to be doing something... Or perhaps they are just hanging out.

[Marty]

I'm curious if this would work against the pests you have.

here's what I did to get rid of my millipede infestation

http://www.orchidboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=119


Marty

Originally Posted by littlefrog

I am using predatory mites to control spider-mites. Jury is still out on the effectiveness. I had tried several other methods of 'control' this summer before I broke down and applied the predators, so my catasetinae leaves were pretty toast by that time. I haven't seen much additional 'toasting' in the last month, but it is also getting near the end of the season for me and the leaves should be dropping naturally in the next month or so. So it will be difficult to tell. I'll apply predators earlier in the season next year (stupid spidermites...), and see how that works out. I really hope they work.

I did try green lacewings in the greenhouse. I released larvae in march (or april, maybe). Never saw a feeding lacewing or any adults in the greenhouse. So either they moved outside, or didn't establish. I won't be repeating that experiment. I haven't seen the typical asian ladybug swarm on the side of my house yet, but I'm thinking of harvesting a few thousand and releasing them inside the greenhouse. I have seen a few asian ladybugs in the greenhouse already, and they seem to be doing something... Or perhaps they are just hanging out.

[littlefrog]

Well, the CO2 thing might work in a small terrarium. But to do a greenhouse would take a whole lotta dry ice... *grin*. Mine is 1500 sq feet (and a lot more cubic feet). Any greenhouse is probably not entirely sealed, anyway. I think even in an enclosed room, it would be difficult to seal off and the CO2 would stratify to the bottom of the room.

But, I like the idea in a terrarium. With a window in the room open, just in case. You could make CO2 with baking soda and vinegar, if you couldn't find dry ice. Carbon monoxide would be even better, but substantially more dangerous to generate and be around. So far I haven't had any infestations in the dart frog enclosures (knock on wood).

[Marty]

Greenhouse is a foreign thing to me... I wish I had one...

Loong time ago, back in Europe, when I was growing up we used to have one... Unofrtunately it had tomatoes, cucumbers, etc...nothing fancy

Definitely if you were to 'fumigate' your gh with CO2 you'd need quite a bit...although that stuff is quite efficient once it starts to sublime and displaces air fast.....

you could also try exhaling through a straw into your greenhouse then again you'd probably pass out faster then from carbon monoxide, hehe

Originally Posted by littlefrog

Well, the CO2 thing might work in a small terrarium. But to do a greenhouse would take a whole lotta dry ice... *grin*. Mine is 1500 sq feet (and a lot more cubic feet). Any greenhouse is probably not entirely sealed, anyway. I think even in an enclosed room, it would be difficult to seal off and the CO2 would stratify to the bottom of the room.

But, I like the idea in a terrarium. With a window in the room open, just in case. You could make CO2 with baking soda and vinegar, if you couldn't find dry ice. Carbon monoxide would be even better, but substantially more dangerous to generate and be around. So far I haven't had any infestations in the dart frog enclosures (knock on wood).