Predatory Mites alternative food
A storage mite (Thyreophagus entomophagus) is widely used as food for predatory mites (supplementary feeding). A storage mite does not harm the cultivated crop, since its food resource is various polysaccharides. It is a full-fledged protein feed for additional nutrition of predatory mites in case of the absence of a pest on the crop. Additional feed is used to increase the predator’s population on the crop until the appearance of pests. The food is suitable for feeding all predatory mites of the Phytoseiid family. It is not used as an independent means in greenhouses, but only in combination with predatory mites.
Application:
The scheme of application is not complicated and consists of combined releases of predator and feed. Feed mites are supplied in a convenient package, maximally adapted to use in greenhouses. At the moment, these are 1-litre tubes with a special dispenser that provides a portion of the release in 1 ml or 500 feed mites. One tube contains 500,000 feed mites. After the release of the predator a week later, it is optimal to provide supplementary feeding. Feed consumption is 10 tubes per 1 hectare. Thus, this norm will provide 10,000 points of introduction or 5 million feed mites per 1 hectare. It is enough to make 2-3 supplementary feeding at the beginning of the growing cycle to achieve the effect. This approach will strengthen plant protection in general due to higher populations of predatory mites on the crop.
Packing — tube of 500,000 mites.


