{"product_id":"bugs-for-bugs-neoseiulus-cucumeris","title":"Bugs for Bugs Neoseiulus cucumeris","description":"\u003cp\u003eBugs for Bugs Neoseiulus cucumeris introduces a foliage-dwelling predator for the juvenile stages of thrips. It is especially useful as an early part of a thrips programme, because it can survive on pollen and alternative prey while pest numbers are still low. Tube releases distribute mites directly over foliage, while the slow-release sachets provide an in-crop breeding system for protected production.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCucumeris searches leaves and flowers for small prey. Its eggs are placed in sheltered parts of the plant, including leaf hairs and areas near veins or flowers. Feeding on immature thrips helps interrupt the developing population, but it does not immediately remove adult thrips already present. Monitoring with sticky traps and regular plant checks remains useful while the predators establish. Other agents that attack adult thrips or soil stages can complement the work being done in the foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTube releases have been used in protected vegetables, strawberries, cut flowers and nurseries, and in outdoor crops that become warm enough for the mites to feed each day. Outdoor strawberry production and stored onions are also suitable uses. Sachets have a narrower application: they need protected cropping, shelter within the canopy and protection from direct sunlight, heavy rain and strong wind. Their small exit holes allow predators to leave over time without opening the breeding system.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePollen-bearing plants and suitable humidity help establishment, particularly when prey is scarce. Regular observation is more useful than expecting mites to be easy to find immediately after release. Mark release areas and inspect the undersides of leaves and flowers as the population develops. Cucumeris is unsuitable for tomatoes and geraniums because leaf structure and exudates prevent establishment. Check the crop's pesticide history before either tube or sachet release, and keep the handling and storage requirements of the two formats distinct.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNOTE:\u003c\/strong\u003e These are living mites with a short shelf life, so we don't hold them in store. Your order ships fresh, direct from the breeder.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eSpecies image credits: Photo: Institut Agro Montpellier; Novljan, M., Bohinc, T., Kreiter, S., Döker, I. \u0026amp; Trdan, S. (2023), The indigenous species of predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as biological control agents of plant pests in Slovenia, Acarologia 63(4):1048-1061, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.24349\/0p4s-gjtm, Figure 3. CC BY 4.0; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www1.montpellier.inrae.fr\/CBGP\/acarologia\/article.php?id=4653\"\u003esource\u003c\/a\u003e; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\"\u003eCC BY 4.0\u003c\/a\u003e. Cropped to square and resized.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bugs for Bugs","offers":[{"title":"10 Pairs \/ Slow-Release Sachets","offer_id":67640392712350,"sku":"PLACEHOLDER355213213223","price":12.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000 Mites \/ Tube","offer_id":67640392745118,"sku":"PLACEHOLDER355213213230","price":27.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100000 Mites \/ Tube","offer_id":67640392777886,"sku":"PLACEHOLDER355213213231","price":122.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0709\/5261\/6094\/files\/Bugs_for_Bugs_Neoseiulus_cucumeris_-_Adult_Mite_-_01.png?v=1793417958","url":"https:\/\/www.hydrooasis.com.au\/products\/bugs-for-bugs-neoseiulus-cucumeris","provider":"Hydro Oasis","version":"1.0","type":"link"}