Good Bugs
helping our customers succeed is our passion
Identifying the Good from
the Bad...
To create the perfect growing environment for your
Hydroponics project. and ensuring the optimum
growing conditions to produce a beautiful, tender,
dirt-free, flav
orful
product, we suggest you utilize beneficial insects,
"good bugs" to eat the "bad bugs", which keeps your
produce free of harmful pesticides.
Although bringing in good bugs to eliminate
a bad bug problem might not always solve the
problem, you might have to resort to a pesticide.
In cases like this our staff is very educated and
can direct you as to the best product to use.
The Good Guys
When possible it is always
recommended to use these guys to fend off the "Bad
Bugs" that might take home in your hydroponic
garden. The important thing to remember is that
these bugs are a protector of your plants and you do
not want to eliminate them.
Aphid Predators
Each
Aphid Predator larva must eat 10 aphids to reach
full development but will happily eat many more if
they are available. Great for indoors because they
do not fly toward the light. For a small indoor
garden, one release of 100-250 predators will get
you started.
White Fly Parasites
Many
commercial green- houses use Whitefly Parasites as
their only whitefly control. These eggs are glued to
small cards and shipped ready to hatch and
parasitize pest larvae. Use 500 parasites up to four
times to control whitefly infestations in a small
home greenhouse.
Green Lacewing
This
excellent all-purpose garden predator devours
aphids, mealybugs, soft scale, whiteflies and the
eggs of other insects such as spider mites and
thrips. Shipped as eggs, these beneficials are best
applied 5,000 eggs per acre.
House Fly Parasites
Controls
many species of flies by killing their pupae before
flies hatch. In its 3-4 week lifecycle, each
parasite kills 50 flies. Use anywhere nuisance flies
breed. Release 5000 every two weeks for a large
compost pile or 3-4 head of livestock.
Mealybug
Predators
Predators
of small insects, these tiny black ladybugs are
effective, proven beneficial insects that have been
used commercially for over 100 years. They really
enjoy mealybugs but will eat aphids and scale when
the mealies get scarce. Apply 2-5 per infested plant
or one for every two feet of planted area. Repeat
about twice a year as needed. European Corn
Borers
Pirate Bugs
Pirate
Bugs (Orius insidiosis) are used on many crops to
control thrip, aphid, spider mite and whitefly
populations. Release 5-10 per 100 square feet. For
extreme thrip infestations, use in conjunction with
Thrip Predators.
Praying Mantis
A
Praying Mantis can grow to be four inches long in
just one season and will feed on almost any insect
it can overcome. Allow several weeks of warm weather
for hatching.
Spider Mite Destroyers
Spider
Mite Destroyers breed twice as fast as spider mites
and eat up to five mites or 20 mite eggs every day!
Over time, your spider mite populations will
dwindle. To control spider mites in six weeks,
estimated use is one predator for every 20 spider
mites.
Whitefly
Predators
Whitefly
Predators are fast eaters; they eat one whitefly
larva in just 30 seconds. Imagine what these hungry
helpers can do for your garden as they munch up to
600 whitefly eggs every day! 300-500 predators cover
1,000 square feet. To use, just shake the predators
out of their package onto plant foliage. Predators
do best between 65-90 degrees
Beneficial
Nematodes
Beneficial
Nematodes control over 250 different insects in the
soil, including weevils, loopers, borers, moths, and
fleas. They are harmless to earthworms, and leave
plants alone. Not to be confused with pest
nematodes, beneficial nematodes are parasitic, and
invade the bodies of their prey, leaving behind the
dead insect carcasses. One batch fits onto a small,
2" sponge and will cover up to 2,000 square feet. To
use, submerge the sponge in water and soak into soil
with a watering can or pressure-sprayer. Nematodes
may also be injected into borer holes with a
syringe. If necessary, Beneficial Nematodes may be
stored in the refrigerator (40-50 degrees F) for up
to 2 months.
Fungus Gnat
Predator
Nature's
alternative to chemical insecticides, Fungus Gnat
Predators feed on the larvae of fungus gnats and
other small soil-dwelling creatures including
thrips, mites, and springtails. Five thousand
predators treat up to 200 square feet of growing
surface.
Predator Mites
Predator
Mites usually gain control of spider mite
infestations after 4 weeks. Release 100 mites per 25
square feet. Predator mites will be effective in a
wide variety of conditions: from 55-90 degrees
Fahrenheit and from 45-90% relative humidity.
Thrip Predators
These
predators feed on immature thrips (soil and leaf
pupating) and an occasional spider mite as well. Use
100-500 per plant or 200,000 per acre to control
thrip infestations. For maximum effectiveness
humidity must remain between 70% and 85%.
Ladybugs
An
adult Ladybug can eat thousands of aphids and other
pests in its lifetime. Good for small and large
areas.
To learn more about
Good Bugs come in and talk to our knowledgeable
staff and where you'll find more information.
We can provide you with the proper remedy
to clean up any bug infestation you might have.