Amblyseius swirskii is a polyphagic predator with many different types of prey on its menu. In sweet peppers, aubergines and gerbera crops. A.swirskii can also survive on pollen. However, it is not yet clear whether this applies to pollen from all types of crop. If thrips or whitefly are present, the predatory mite quickly grows in numbers.
Amblyseius swirskii eats the first larval phase of thrips. A female mite can consume up to five young thirps larvae per day at 25C. This is comparable with the predation capacity of Just Thrip Killer in the laboratory. A.swirskii can develop on plants much more quickly than Just Thrip Killer if prey is available.
Shakers
Amblyseius swirskii is supplied in shaker cans, mixed with bran. There are cans available with different contents and numbers of predatory mites. The shakers are primarily intended for light curative introductions (if whitefly or thrips are present). In crops with sufficient pollen, such as sweet pepper and aubergine, the predatory mites in shakers can be released preventatively once the crop is flowering.
Slow Release Bags
Just as in the case of the predatory mite Just Thrip Killer, slow release bags have also been developed for A.swirskii. These bags produce large numbers of predatory mites over a period of 4-6 weeks and can be simply hung up in the crop using hooks.