Topic: My old enemies are back... RSM strikes again

[moonbells]

Hey ho, here we go again. Noticed them a couple of weeks earlier than last year and not nearly as many red spider mites in evidence, so can get away with ordering a smaller load of predators and hopefully they won't get as bad...

Still, *grumble!*

moonbells

[tim]

On what? Where? At this time of year??

[moonbells]

The usual, sadly. Strelitzia, just moving onto the cues. They've not got as far as the aubs (thank goodness) and I intend to make sure they don't! everything's so cramped at the moment; I only got back from the US on Sunday and so missed the manic growth spurt of everything and the change in temp in the conservatory from vaguely normal to tropical.

Was doing my rounds and spotted a suspicious patch on a cue leaf. Then noticed the webbing on the strelitzia...

The strelitzia leaves have all been wiped down with a wet cloth and Defenders are getting a phone call at 9am!

moonbells

[Doris_Pinks]

Cripes, that seems early, will have to have an inspect of my cues n aubs in the g'nhouse!
Sympathies Moonbells  :(

[moonbells]

I don't think it's that early, sadly!
This was my post last year - June 7th - and by that point the infestation was rather nasty and took a couple of months to bring under control. I reckon they'd been there at this time, and with it being a heated conservatory (for the tropicals) the RSMs aren't affected by cold winters and late springs...

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,28/topic,10214.0

I've ordered a tenner's worth of predators from Defenders which ought to arrive tomorrow, so I shall hope for the best. Though am going to put out a lot of the seedling plants into the cold frame in the meantime, so I can start hardening them off where the mites won't get them! If it gets frosty, I've always got the paraffin heater.

moonbells

[moonbells]

Replying to self, tut!

Predators duly arrived and deployed: I got out the x10 hand lens and had a peek and was treated to one of them catching a RSM almost immediately. And not letting go. I guess at least one predator won't need feeding again for a while! Way too small to photograph though - my close-up lens is only x4.

Hopefully no walloped cues and aubs this year :)

moonbells

[Motherwoman]

Sounds like they're overwintering on your tropicals Moonbells,I should keep up the predators during the winter too.