Type of use

Preventative and curative

Targets

• Thrips tabaci
• Frankliniella occidentalis
• Other smaller, thrips

Conditions of use

• Temperature range 18°C <> 30°C / 64°F <> 86°F
• Optimum temperature 25 – 28°C; 77 – 82°F
• Optimum Humidity 70% – 85%

Alternative sources of food

• Whitefly
• Pollen

Tarsonemid and broad mites

• Aculops spp
• Other small arthropod prey
• Fugal spores

Information

STARSKii® contains the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii. It’s key advantage is that it predates on whiteflies as well as thrips, Aculops and other small soft bodied pests. It also eats significantly more prey than A. cu. In the absence of prey it can also survive on the plant by feeding on pollen or fungus.

It prefers a warm humid climate so is more suited to warmer countries or heated glasshouses.  At lower humidities eggs laid in the open may dry out and not hatch but the microclimate on the leaf is higher than in the air so this is, in practice, unlikely to happen.

It feeds only on the smallest first and second instar larvae and cannot attack adults so is best used early, to prevent thrips establishment on the crop. By attacking thrips larvae as they emerge from the egg, large numbers of Amblyseius swirskii can prevent the establishment of a population.

For preventative use, CRS sachets provide an ideal solution.

No Amblyseius swirskii formulation will fully control large existing thrips populations, nor prevent damage from invading adults.

Available as

• Sachets CRS
• Mini sachets
• Gemini Sachets:
• Sachets-On-a-Stick
• Bugline
• Bulk material

Rates

Due to the large numbers of crops and release systems rates are highly variable; example programs are supplied for different crops.