Thank you for this video! I love my plants. I also have 3 children and make a massive conscious effort to be chemical free in my home so this is perfect x
I once did 250 lady bugs, which works amazingly for about 6 months. Most of them sadly died, but they died mostly near windows or within the soil. It wasn't a problem to clean up and in truth I haven;t had issues with pests since. It's been about 4 months, so I think I'll just do a wave of predatory mites like you did instead as there are no corpses to clean up :)
Yay!! As someone who came to houseplants from gardening I always used beneficial insects since I don't want to eat chemical sprayed plants. I don't think people understand how many insects and mites are living in your home already :)
I’d like to add that carnivorous plants also work very well against fungus nats: especially drosera and pinguicula work great. It captures more than my yellow sticky traps and is completely biological of course 😊
those HELP control, but does not prevent or destroy the insect problem, unfortunately. but yeah, can work as a helping measure at some point, similar to sticky traps .)
I use Pinguicola on all my windowsills, they look much better than sticky traps! They bloom, they propagate, they add their lovely light Greens underneath the bigger plants. And when they catch enough adult fungus gnats there ends a big infestation of the soil. Of course it helps when plants are only watered when needed, and not overwatered. I simply love them! My Mom uses them, too!💚
I have used predatory mites as a prevention method for almost a year now. I use the Amblyseius californicus for spider mites (lots of calatheas and alocasias) as those mites are hardier than others. I find it complicated to give the predators the environment they need (>65% humidity) and the californicus are easier to handle. I survived winter and heating months without spider mites so I'm very happy with the predators. As prevention, I buy them every two months and use one sachet for every two plants (or three, if baby plants). This is recommended by the supplier. For fungus gnats I will use nermatodes again. I used them alongside yellow stickers and I got rid of the infestation. Of course there were fungus gnats here and there, but I was happy about them. Because if they continue to lay eggs every now and then, then my nermatodes will be kept alive and happy. I bring out nermatodes at the beginning of spring and again in summer, if I notice more fungus gnats around
Brilliant, thank you Claire. I am definitely going to be trying these. I hate killing most things but thrips….. nope! They are definitely on my hit list.
Dust your plants been cycles. They don’t live forever and they often don’t have enough food to sustain multiple generations without buying more. Not to mention that predatory mites typically require high humidity (70%+) to hatch. So wait until the lifecycle ends and then dust as usual.
I’ve had plants in my home for years. I’ve been actively collecting going on 3yrs. I’ve mentioned on other channels that I don’t have pests nor have I ever had pests (sorry I lied… I’ve have and occasional fungus gnats). I don’t have pest treatment chemicals and have never used them, I haven’t the need to. I currently have 200+ plants…my method of plant care is to shower each and everyone (except my cacti, African violets etc.) at least once a week. If watering is needed in between I top water). I wash the leaves, stems, and flood the soil. I also don’t “stress” my plants. I’m consistent with my watering and my plants are healthy and happy. I’ve been asked how long it takes me…I water plants daily, several at a time and because of how I water it’s a while before my next watering (of course there are exceptions). Most of my plants are in terracotta. I really love them, they are my water meters 😊. I also have plants in plastic as well. I still feel the time I spend watering my plants, beats the time and &$ spent treating plants for pests.
I just received my first batch and excited to get started. I did get 150 ladybugs also but I mainly want to use the sachet... Thank you so much for the info. I did quite a bit if research as well but it's reassuring to know that they will work from someone who has such a large collection! Love your channel! ❤
It's a great method but unfortunately quite expensive and you need a lot of the mites to be truly effective, preferably on every plant. Also, how about cleaning the plants and/or showering them? When I had the mites I feared I might destroy them and stopped wiping my plants so they were more dusty (absorbing less light). What are your observations on that issue?
Loved this video. Great content and super informative. The way you explain the details and provide context is really helpful. You make everything so easy to digest and your delivery is calming. Sounds strange I suppose but I appreciate your gentle approach.
This was very informative and helped to dissuade my worries. I'm not too freaked out by bugs but I didn't want swarms of them flying around or crawling everywhere. Seeing how small they are and how they prefer to live on the plants helps ease my worries. I should pick some up for my rattlesnake calathea, it has thrips and mealybugs. And those damned fungus gnats 😩 Anything that kills them is a hero in my book
Great that you are switching to biological control. I haven't used pesticides in my garden for over 30 years and dont like using them inside as well. I have just bought some canriverous plants and they are already catching fungus gnats and fruitflies :)
Thank you for this content! I've wanted to try predatory mites for literally years, but always been afraid to give it a go. I've tried so many different sprays and soil amendments and nothing has ever fully eradicated the spider mites that keep coming back! I am finally convinced to try predatory mites and cannot wait to see new leaves without spider mite damage!!!
Hi Claire, quick question, what happens if you clean your leaves regularly with neem oil and horticultural soap? Or do you just wipe your leaves down with microfibre cloth/gloves?
Agreed that people over complicate plants and pests. I try to do my own version of integrated pest management when I notice insects (usually fungus gnats).
I have a really bad thrips infestation right now and I have a few questions. Would you wash your plant if you were using predatory mites? Or do you then wash off the predatory mites in addition to the thrips? You can no longer use horticultural soap while using predatory mites, right? Only before you introduce them to the plants? Have you ever used lacewing larvae? Many thanks!
I actually found this video because I was watching your year old one on thrips, went to the comment section to write that Provado/Provanto is really bad for the environment and any other animals that come in contact with it - but I saw your pinned comment before I got the chance and here I am! 🤣😃 I too have used Provado in the past, but it's been banned here in Sweden for years now due to it's toxicity!
Hi Claire thanks for another great video,quick question with the sachets of mites do they have to be on or close to the plant ? And will they spread to other plants in the house if they are not close to the sachets?
Thank you so much for this video. You’ve really helped with my concern about the predatory mites. I’m very new to plants and I’m pretty certain I have thrips on my parlour palm and monstera so they’ve been quarantined to the bath. I’ve given them a shower and was wondering what else to use when I remembered you saying about these. So I’ve gone to Ladybird nurseries and ordered the ones to help with thrips. Until they arrive I’ll be doing regular horticultural soap and neem oil showers.
Happy Valentines Claire! ❤️ & Yulie ❤️🐾 Is it costly for all the predatory insects? I live in Ontario Canada and it's Quite expensive here. I do the alcohol swab on pests and the Sticky Tabs. Insecticidal Soap plus I do have Neem oil but haven't needed to use it. Yet! Also I do love your channel! And Good Growing! I love watching you and Emma when yous get together! You both are alot of Fun! Thankyou! ❤️🐾🪴
First video, I have found, that truly explained it all. Makes it less scary as well. I soooo appreciate this one. Going to save it and share. Thank you!!
This was soooooo informative! Thank you so much for this 🙌🏽 I’ve always been curious about beneficial mites but at squeamish and the idea of releasing hundreds or thousands of bugs makes my skin crawl lol but this definitely eased my mind and made beneficial mites an option in my head if I ever have a bad outbreak of spider mites/thrips/etc
In the pest control video you made 9 months ago you said that using predatory mites and biological pest control did not seem to work for you. Can you explain what changes you made that changed your opinion on the effectiveness of predatory mites? I'm very interested in giving it a go for my plants! Thanks :)
Love your channel, think I have watched most of your vids over the last few weeks and have joined your Patreon :), brilliant content! Questions on this vid - I've ordered some of the predatory mites and nematodes which are arriving over the next few days. Just wondering if you set the predatory mites free are you still able to clean your plants with Neem oil? Or is it actually just overdoing it to clean with neem oil anymore since the mites are for preventative measure anyway? Regarding the Nematodes do you use them when watering through the moss pole also, how often do you use them? Sorry for all the Q's :) Thanks for all your content!!!!!!!
Super informative. I always love ALL your videos. This one is going to definitely change the way I approach pests. Im in Canada, so Im going to do my research here and find out where I can purchase. Im super thankful Claire. Im only just beginning my plant journey. Its been less than 6 months and Im glad I got this information sooner than later. Id hate to harm my babies on purpose. Mad Love!🪳🕷🌿💚
How did you transition to biological pest control? I just put systemic granules on all my plants' soil for mealies and thrips, but I love how simple this is and more of a true preventive measure and would like to move towards this method in the future.
@@Orbt_ I am in Canada and I buy NemaKnights either from a garden centre or Amazon. They are specially formulated as a slow release and need no refrigeration. They work great. You just sprinkle them on and water them in.
Hi Claire!! Thank you so much for this video!! I love watching your channel. I’m currently battling thrips and have just ordered some biological mites from ladybird plant care… my question is with smaller plants can you bundle them together with one sachet or do the mites not travel between plants!? Thank you 😊 Nikky
I like using lacewing larvae. My mom prefers nematodes. We both get thrips but my mom has had a thrip problem on her entire collection for a long time and it’s amazing how after one use how vastly improved the infestation is. Every juvenile I found on the leaves when I visited was dead (nematodes consume their pray from the inside out). Obviously it wasn’t an instant fix and she’ll need to buy more, but I was impressed how effective it was. Worth every penny to not have to spray and wipe everything down yourself. For me it’s a matter of how much my time is worth and a hands off approach to pest control is definitely preferable to mixing my own non-toxic insecticides and treating by hand.
Really enjoyed the video & will be making more use of this method of pest control as I have 150+ houseplants in a fairly small area & the thought of a serious infestation has always been a huge concern. I do grow the majority of my plants in "Pin" & wondered if you had any idea how well the Fungas Nats Nematodes function in this environment?
Absolutely briliiant video. I was just wondering if there was a specific reason for using 2 types of predatory mite, when the Amblyseius Andersoni can prevent both thrips and spider mites?
I wish you went into more detail about what the problem is with systemics, and what specific problems they cause. For me just hearing that they contain "nasty chemicals" or aren't natural isn't enough to understand why they impact the long term health of the plant or how to improve health.
Thank you for updating with a comment in your OG thrips video. Just discovered I have this problem and I AM GOING TO WAR! Gunna recruit my Cucu army tomorrow. Please wish me luck and pray for my boys o7
Thank you very much for sharing this video! I'm a big fan of biological pest control too, but unfortunately, it's not available as a subscription service where I live. I'm curious about how you go about using biological pest control, and would like to ask a few questions if you don't mind. Would you be willing to share more information about the specific products you use and how often you apply them (I think it's every 6 weeks, right?)? Also, I'm wondering if the biocontrol you use is effective against thrips and spider mites only, or if it works for other pests as well. I have a lot of aroids and I'm trying to determine whether it's necessary to use biocontrol for thrips larvae, or if chrysop is enough. Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Do you have an opinion on Great White Mycorrhizae? I've thought about boosting my soil but I don't understand the subject enough to know if the price is reflected in benefits for the plants
Omfg yellow! Lol I’ve been buying the black sticky traps because I thought the yellow was to noticeable. They do get covered in gnats but I had no idea they could see Yellow 😅
Silly question Claire: how long do I need to leave the dusty stuff on the leaves (the stuff the predators came in). Presumably it’s just a form of habitat for the mites during transit? I’m scared to clean it off incase I clean off the mites as well.
What I notice or my tried and true method of eliminating fungus gnats is having the plant be near a draft and by shutting the windows where the plants are. The draft in a way dries out the soil enough to detract gnats but not enough to make the plant die, it may suffer due to not having enough light. The only time there are any fungus gnats are when any time my windows are open, it prevents them or any pest from further colonizing other plants. However, if you are lucky to be by a windy and a drafty part of the house/neighborhood whether the windows are open or not no pest will be daring enough to enter that way. I notice that the windiest side of the house is also more exposed allowing for predatory animals to patrol the area and the amount of air blowing is too strong for even the wayward pest. Not that there will be no fungus gnats there is not enough to devastate most of the plants.
Claire, that was what I was waiting for. Thank you so very much indeed. Very comprehensive and helpful... I shall be contacting ladybirdplantcare soon :-)
For Mealys I haven't found anything I'm prepared to release into my home that actually seems effective. Some people swear by Ladybug larvae(??) but I personally use isopropyl alcohol
I‘ve been watching your videos for a few weeks now especially because of this one that I found through your comment on an older video of yours. But now I was watching another older video where you were praising hydrogen peroxide while rescuing a friend‘s plant, and there you didn’t refer to this video in the comments section. Does that mean you still find it great or is your opinion similar to what you said here on 2:30 ? 😅 I like your opinions and would love to know that before applying it onto my plants 🙏🏻
If you have used commercial pest care for the treatment of spider mites. How long should you wait until applying the predatory mites? I would feel awful if I was to add predatory mites only to have the good guys be wiped out by residual.😢
Thanks so much for this video! Do you still use hydrogen peroxide as a form of pest control? Also, do you know of a Canadian retailer or plant channel to be able to buy/get information from a reputable source? thank you again so much
had an infestation of these repotted 30 of my plants and I guess the soil was infected before I didn't notice but I used them sticky pads and they're full within a hour on both sides 1000s of flies altogether so I've tried cinnamon atm and getting some fly trap plants, & if this doesn't work I'm going for these
Make sure your dog doesn’t have allergies to mites, most dogs actually do. Allergies can result in itchy skin, legs and ears. Diarrhoea, anal scooting and lethargy.
Not predatory mites but there are other beneficials that work for mealybugs. I like green lacewing as a generalist predator that thrives at various conditions (low or high humidity) but you can also use the mealy bug destroyer (prefers humidity 70% or higher).
I like arbico-organics. They’re more expensive than natures good guys but I’ve heard a lot of sketchy things about natures good guys from average home buyers. Arbico has wonderful customer service and great products.
I bought a decent amount of sachets, but my plants were still completely overrun with spider mites. I never even saw a predatory mite, but also wasn’t sure what to look for. It’s like $40-50 just for a tube of them which I feel like is expensive for a subscription 😭
No talk of cost. From all my research that's a big part of the reason I'll stick to my systemic chemical routines. That and weekly spray downs have worked so far and aren't so expensive. Just my two cents.
Prevention isn’t perfect. Prevention helps significantly reduce the chances of getting large scale infestations but something is always going to slip through the cracks. Just like taking vitamin c daily is a preventive against getting sick and generally helps you get over a cold faster, you can still get sick. It just happens less often and less severely.
In content ads are the surest way to put off subscribers. Did you know you have three ads at the beginning of your video? Adverts only create income if they are seen, and if viewers bail out before the end it demerits your channel. I faced 5 ads trying to watch your video.
Hi Claire!! Thank you so much for this video!! I love watching your channel. I’m currently battling thrips and have just ordered some biological mites from ladybird plant care… my question is with smaller plants can you bundle them together with one sachet or do the mites not travel between plants!? Thank you 😊 Nikky
Thank you for this video! I love my plants. I also have 3 children and make a massive conscious effort to be chemical free in my home so this is perfect x
I once did 250 lady bugs, which works amazingly for about 6 months. Most of them sadly died, but they died mostly near windows or within the soil. It wasn't a problem to clean up and in truth I haven;t had issues with pests since. It's been about 4 months, so I think I'll just do a wave of predatory mites like you did instead as there are no corpses to clean up :)
Yay!! As someone who came to houseplants from gardening I always used beneficial insects since I don't want to eat chemical sprayed plants. I don't think people understand how many insects and mites are living in your home already :)
No kidding. I like using lacewing larvae because they aren’t picky about humidity and they are a general pest control. Only downside is they bite.
I’d like to add that carnivorous plants also work very well against fungus nats: especially drosera and pinguicula work great. It captures more than my yellow sticky traps and is completely biological of course 😊
those HELP control, but does not prevent or destroy the insect problem, unfortunately. but yeah, can work as a helping measure at some point, similar to sticky traps .)
I use Pinguicola on all my windowsills, they look much better than sticky traps! They bloom, they propagate, they add their lovely light Greens underneath the bigger plants. And when they catch enough adult fungus gnats there ends a big infestation of the soil. Of course it helps when plants are only watered when needed, and not overwatered.
I simply love them! My Mom uses them, too!💚
I have used predatory mites as a prevention method for almost a year now. I use the Amblyseius californicus for spider mites (lots of calatheas and alocasias) as those mites are hardier than others. I find it complicated to give the predators the environment they need (>65% humidity) and the californicus are easier to handle.
I survived winter and heating months without spider mites so I'm very happy with the predators.
As prevention, I buy them every two months and use one sachet for every two plants (or three, if baby plants). This is recommended by the supplier.
For fungus gnats I will use nermatodes again. I used them alongside yellow stickers and I got rid of the infestation. Of course there were fungus gnats here and there, but I was happy about them. Because if they continue to lay eggs every now and then, then my nermatodes will be kept alive and happy. I bring out nermatodes at the beginning of spring and again in summer, if I notice more fungus gnats around
Very Informative…Thank You for sharing. I’m taking notes for my🪴.
Doing things the natural way is the best way because nature knows best.
Brilliant, thank you Claire. I am definitely going to be trying these. I hate killing most things but thrips….. nope! They are definitely on my hit list.
Great video Claire, very informative. Quick question...do you avoid dusting the leaves when you have predatory mites on the plants?
This is a question I was wondering about. I was worried about washing the predators off. Interested in the answer x
I was going to ask about dusting plants and inadvertently destroying your predatory mites.
Dust your plants been cycles. They don’t live forever and they often don’t have enough food to sustain multiple generations without buying more. Not to mention that predatory mites typically require high humidity (70%+) to hatch. So wait until the lifecycle ends and then dust as usual.
I’ve had plants in my home for years. I’ve been actively collecting going on 3yrs.
I’ve mentioned on other channels that I don’t have pests nor have I ever had pests (sorry I lied… I’ve have and occasional fungus gnats). I don’t have pest treatment chemicals and have never used them, I haven’t the need to.
I currently have 200+ plants…my method of plant care is to shower each and everyone (except my cacti, African violets etc.) at least once a week. If watering is needed in between I top water).
I wash the leaves, stems, and flood the soil. I also don’t “stress” my plants. I’m consistent with my watering and my plants are healthy and happy.
I’ve been asked how long it takes me…I water plants daily, several at a time and because of how I water it’s a while before my next watering (of course there are exceptions).
Most of my plants are in terracotta. I really love them, they are my water meters 😊. I also have plants in plastic as well.
I still feel the time I spend watering my plants, beats the time and &$ spent treating plants for pests.
I just received my first batch and excited to get started. I did get 150 ladybugs also but I mainly want to use the sachet... Thank you so much for the info. I did quite a bit if research as well but it's reassuring to know that they will work from someone who has such a large collection! Love your channel! ❤
It's a great method but unfortunately quite expensive and you need a lot of the mites to be truly effective, preferably on every plant. Also, how about cleaning the plants and/or showering them? When I had the mites I feared I might destroy them and stopped wiping my plants so they were more dusty (absorbing less light). What are your observations on that issue?
Loved this video. Great content and super informative. The way you explain the details and provide context is really helpful. You make everything so easy to digest and your delivery is calming. Sounds strange I suppose but I appreciate your gentle approach.
This was very informative and helped to dissuade my worries. I'm not too freaked out by bugs but I didn't want swarms of them flying around or crawling everywhere. Seeing how small they are and how they prefer to live on the plants helps ease my worries. I should pick some up for my rattlesnake calathea, it has thrips and mealybugs. And those damned fungus gnats 😩 Anything that kills them is a hero in my book
Great that you are switching to biological control. I haven't used pesticides in my garden for over 30 years and dont like using them inside as well. I have just bought some canriverous plants and they are already catching fungus gnats and fruitflies :)
Thank you for this content! I've wanted to try predatory mites for literally years, but always been afraid to give it a go. I've tried so many different sprays and soil amendments and nothing has ever fully eradicated the spider mites that keep coming back! I am finally convinced to try predatory mites and cannot wait to see new leaves without spider mite damage!!!
How much is the cost 🤔 of beneficial insects???
Hi Claire, quick question, what happens if you clean your leaves regularly with neem oil and horticultural soap? Or do you just wipe your leaves down with microfibre cloth/gloves?
Neem is a scam it does nothing
Agreed that people over complicate plants and pests. I try to do my own version of integrated pest management when I notice insects (usually fungus gnats).
I have a really bad thrips infestation right now and I have a few questions. Would you wash your plant if you were using predatory mites? Or do you then wash off the predatory mites in addition to the thrips? You can no longer use horticultural soap while using predatory mites, right? Only before you introduce them to the plants?
Have you ever used lacewing larvae?
Many thanks!
LOVE THIS balanced natural eco system
I actually found this video because I was watching your year old one on thrips, went to the comment section to write that Provado/Provanto is really bad for the environment and any other animals that come in contact with it - but I saw your pinned comment before I got the chance and here I am! 🤣😃
I too have used Provado in the past, but it's been banned here in Sweden for years now due to it's toxicity!
Hi Claire thanks for another great video,quick question with the sachets of mites do they have to be on or close to the plant ? And will they spread to other plants in the house if they are not close to the sachets?
Thanks for the useful information! Your “show N tell” helped lessen my fear.
Thank you so much for this video. You’ve really helped with my concern about the predatory mites. I’m very new to plants and I’m pretty certain I have thrips on my parlour palm and monstera so they’ve been quarantined to the bath. I’ve given them a shower and was wondering what else to use when I remembered you saying about these. So I’ve gone to Ladybird nurseries and ordered the ones to help with thrips. Until they arrive I’ll be doing regular horticultural soap and neem oil showers.
Happy Valentines Claire! ❤️ & Yulie ❤️🐾
Is it costly for all the predatory insects?
I live in Ontario Canada and it's Quite expensive here. I do the alcohol swab on pests and the Sticky Tabs.
Insecticidal Soap plus I do have Neem oil but haven't needed to use it. Yet!
Also I do love your channel! And Good Growing! I love watching you and Emma when yous get together! You both are alot of Fun! Thankyou!
❤️🐾🪴
First video, I have found, that truly explained it all. Makes it less scary as well. I soooo appreciate this one. Going to save it and share. Thank you!!
This was soooooo informative! Thank you so much for this 🙌🏽 I’ve always been curious about beneficial mites but at squeamish and the idea of releasing hundreds or thousands of bugs makes my skin crawl lol but this definitely eased my mind and made beneficial mites an option in my head if I ever have a bad outbreak of spider mites/thrips/etc
SO useful! I've been looking into predatory mites and nematodes, so this is great timing.
In the pest control video you made 9 months ago you said that using predatory mites and biological pest control did not seem to work for you. Can you explain what changes you made that changed your opinion on the effectiveness of predatory mites? I'm very interested in giving it a go for my plants! Thanks :)
Loved this video! I am putting the n an order for predators now. Thanks!
Love your channel, think I have watched most of your vids over the last few weeks and have joined your Patreon :), brilliant content!
Questions on this vid - I've ordered some of the predatory mites and nematodes which are arriving over the next few days. Just wondering if you set the predatory mites free are you still able to clean your plants with Neem oil? Or is it actually just overdoing it to clean with neem oil anymore since the mites are for preventative measure anyway? Regarding the Nematodes do you use them when watering through the moss pole also, how often do you use them? Sorry for all the Q's :) Thanks for all your content!!!!!!!
Super informative. I always love ALL your videos. This one is going to definitely change the way I approach pests. Im in Canada, so Im going to do my research here and find out where I can purchase. Im super thankful Claire. Im only just beginning my plant journey. Its been less than 6 months and Im glad I got this information sooner than later. Id hate to harm my babies on purpose. Mad Love!🪳🕷🌿💚
How did you transition to biological pest control? I just put systemic granules on all my plants' soil for mealies and thrips, but I love how simple this is and more of a true preventive measure and would like to move towards this method in the future.
Thank you for this information! I do use Nematodes but it wad so helpful to have info on other predatory insects!
Patty I want to try nematodes. Where do you get yours? The shipping is the issue. How do you know if they are alive when you get them.
@@Orbt_ I am in Canada and I buy NemaKnights either from a garden centre or Amazon. They are specially formulated as a slow release and need no refrigeration. They work great. You just sprinkle them on and water them in.
Your home is looking lovely!
Hi Claire!! Thank you so much for this video!! I love watching your channel. I’m currently battling thrips and have just ordered some biological mites from ladybird plant care… my question is with smaller plants can you bundle them together with one sachet or do the mites not travel between plants!? Thank you 😊 Nikky
I like using lacewing larvae. My mom prefers nematodes. We both get thrips but my mom has had a thrip problem on her entire collection for a long time and it’s amazing how after one use how vastly improved the infestation is. Every juvenile I found on the leaves when I visited was dead (nematodes consume their pray from the inside out). Obviously it wasn’t an instant fix and she’ll need to buy more, but I was impressed how effective it was. Worth every penny to not have to spray and wipe everything down yourself. For me it’s a matter of how much my time is worth and a hands off approach to pest control is definitely preferable to mixing my own non-toxic insecticides and treating by hand.
Thank you. I simply needed some hardcore information. Thank you.
Thank you so much Claire, much appreciate all your knowledge sharing and tips xx
Really enjoyed the video & will be making more use of this method of pest control as I have 150+ houseplants in a fairly small area & the thought of a serious infestation has always been a huge concern. I do grow the majority of my plants in "Pin" & wondered if you had any idea how well the Fungas Nats Nematodes function in this environment?
Thank you so much for this video ❤️
Absolutely briliiant video. I was just wondering if there was a specific reason for using 2 types of predatory mite, when the Amblyseius Andersoni can prevent both thrips and spider mites?
I wish you went into more detail about what the problem is with systemics, and what specific problems they cause. For me just hearing that they contain "nasty chemicals" or aren't natural isn't enough to understand why they impact the long term health of the plant or how to improve health.
Great information! Thank you!
Thank you for updating with a comment in your OG thrips video. Just discovered I have this problem and I AM GOING TO WAR! Gunna recruit my Cucu army tomorrow. Please wish me luck and pray for my boys o7
Thank you very much for sharing this video! I'm a big fan of biological pest control too, but unfortunately, it's not available as a subscription service where I live. I'm curious about how you go about using biological pest control, and would like to ask a few questions if you don't mind. Would you be willing to share more information about the specific products you use and how often you apply them (I think it's every 6 weeks, right?)? Also, I'm wondering if the biocontrol you use is effective against thrips and spider mites only, or if it works for other pests as well. I have a lot of aroids and I'm trying to determine whether it's necessary to use biocontrol for thrips larvae, or if chrysop is enough. Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Really useful video...thanks 💚
Do you have an opinion on Great White Mycorrhizae? I've thought about boosting my soil but I don't understand the subject enough to know if the price is reflected in benefits for the plants
Happy valentines!!
Omfg yellow! Lol I’ve been buying the black sticky traps because I thought the yellow was to noticeable. They do get covered in gnats but I had no idea they could see Yellow 😅
❤️💚🌹 happy Valentine's day 💌
Thank you! 💚 I got a really bad thrips situation 😭
What are your thoughts on cedar chips for keeping fungus gnats at bay?
Silly question Claire: how long do I need to leave the dusty stuff on the leaves (the stuff the predators came in). Presumably it’s just a form of habitat for the mites during transit? I’m scared to clean it off incase I clean off the mites as well.
Thank you for information 🙂
What I notice or my tried and true method of eliminating fungus gnats is having the plant be near a draft and by shutting the windows where the plants are. The draft in a way dries out the soil enough to detract gnats but not enough to make the plant die, it may suffer due to not having enough light. The only time there are any fungus gnats are when any time my windows are open, it prevents them or any pest from further colonizing other plants.
However, if you are lucky to be by a windy and a drafty part of the house/neighborhood whether the windows are open or not no pest will be daring enough to enter that way. I notice that the windiest side of the house is also more exposed allowing for predatory animals to patrol the area and the amount of air blowing is too strong for even the wayward pest. Not that there will be no fungus gnats there is not enough to devastate most of the plants.
Claire, that was what I was waiting for. Thank you so very much indeed.
Very comprehensive and helpful... I shall be contacting ladybirdplantcare soon :-)
Do the predatory mites jump from plant to plant or do I need to get little saches for each plant
Nematodes are 🔥 we just dropped a rap explaining nematodes and nematology 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Very informative. Do any of these work for mealy bugs?
For Mealys I haven't found anything I'm prepared to release into my home that actually seems effective. Some people swear by Ladybug larvae(??) but I personally use isopropyl alcohol
Do you know for how long can I store Phytoseiulus persimilis for and where?
I‘ve been watching your videos for a few weeks now especially because of this one that I found through your comment on an older video of yours.
But now I was watching another older video where you were praising hydrogen peroxide while rescuing a friend‘s plant, and there you didn’t refer to this video in the comments section.
Does that mean you still find it great or is your opinion similar to what you said here on 2:30 ? 😅 I like your opinions and would love to know that before applying it onto my plants 🙏🏻
If you have used commercial pest care for the treatment of spider mites. How long should you wait until applying the predatory mites? I would feel awful if I was to add predatory mites only to have the good guys be wiped out by residual.😢
That is what I’ve been wondering. Great question.
Thanks so much for this video! Do you still use hydrogen peroxide as a form of pest control? Also, do you know of a Canadian retailer or plant channel to be able to buy/get information from a reputable source? thank you again so much
had an infestation of these repotted 30 of my plants and I guess the soil was infected before I didn't notice but I used them sticky pads and they're full within a hour on both sides 1000s of flies altogether so I've tried cinnamon atm and getting some fly trap plants, & if this doesn't work I'm going for these
Make sure your dog doesn’t have allergies to mites, most dogs actually do. Allergies can result in itchy skin, legs and ears. Diarrhoea, anal scooting and lethargy.
what is the plant on the left side at 15:03? looks like a philodendron but which one exactly?
Are there any that are good for mealy bugs
Not predatory mites but there are other beneficials that work for mealybugs. I like green lacewing as a generalist predator that thrives at various conditions (low or high humidity) but you can also use the mealy bug destroyer (prefers humidity 70% or higher).
Thank you for the information but do you know of any sites in the US where you can get the predatory mites?
Nature’s Good Guys
There is a Facebook group in USA for beneficial insects..
I like arbico-organics. They’re more expensive than natures good guys but I’ve heard a lot of sketchy things about natures good guys from average home buyers. Arbico has wonderful customer service and great products.
I bought a decent amount of sachets, but my plants were still completely overrun with spider mites. I never even saw a predatory mite, but also wasn’t sure what to look for.
It’s like $40-50 just for a tube of them which I feel like is expensive for a subscription 😭
No talk of cost. From all my research that's a big part of the reason I'll stick to my systemic chemical routines. That and weekly spray downs have worked so far and aren't so expensive. Just my two cents.
OMG, i think i once killed a good One "bug", now that i see .... A little tiny one moving. How we know who are the good ones?!
You still get pests even after all the prevention?
Prevention isn’t perfect. Prevention helps significantly reduce the chances of getting large scale infestations but something is always going to slip through the cracks. Just like taking vitamin c daily is a preventive against getting sick and generally helps you get over a cold faster, you can still get sick. It just happens less often and less severely.
I wish that I could afford to use predatory pest control, but I cannot.
Questions - would predatory mites kill nematodes or vice versa??
In content ads are the surest way to put off subscribers. Did you know you have three ads at the beginning of your video? Adverts only create income if they are seen, and if viewers bail out before the end it demerits your channel. I faced 5 ads trying to watch your video.
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Isn't neem oil natural??
Gn
I thought you tried tis before and didn't work?
Aphids?
Why is it a secret??? I don't understand?
Hi Claire!! Thank you so much for this video!! I love watching your channel. I’m currently battling thrips and have just ordered some biological mites from ladybird plant care… my question is with smaller plants can you bundle them together with one sachet or do the mites not travel between plants!? Thank you 😊 Nikky