Neoseiulus cucumeris, formerly Amblyseius cucumeris, is a phytoseiid predatory mite that feeds mainly on first-instar thrips larvae. It also takes broad mites, cyclamen mites and pollen. It cannot overpower older thrips larvae or adults, so it works as prevention, not as rescue.
In practice
Growers hang slow-release sachets, which breed mites on a food source and release them for several weeks, or sprinkle loose material across the canopy from veg onward. It works at cooler temperatures than Amblyseius swirskii, which makes it the usual choice in rooms that run below about 20 °C (68 °F)being reviewed. It is less persistent without prey, so sachets are replaced every few weeks. Pair it with a soil-dwelling predator or nematodes to catch thrips at the pupal stage in the medium. Avoid incompatible sprays near release dates.
Don't confuse with
- Amblyseius swirskii: stronger and longer-lasting, but needs warmth.
- Orius: eats adult thrips too and flies between plants.
- Stratiolaelaps scimitus: a soil mite, not a foliage predator.
Mites, mostly of the family Phytoseiidae, released as biological control to eat pest mites, thrips larvae, whitefly eggs or fungus gnat larvae.Slender insects about 1-2 mm long, chiefly western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), that rasp leaf surfaces, leaving silvery streaks dotted with black frass.Polyphagotarsonemus latus, a microscopic tarsonemid mite whose toxic feeding twists, glazes and stunts new growth; often mistaken for calcium deficiency or heat stress.Phytonemus pallidus, a tarsonemid mite related to the broad mite that distorts new growth on many ornamentals; rarely reported on cannabis and often confused with broad mite.Pest and disease prevention by changing how the crop is grown, such as humidity, airflow, spacing, watering and cultivar choice, so pests and pathogens struggle to establish.Tetranychus urticae, the commonest cannabis mite indoors: a 0.5 mm sap-feeder that stipples leaves pale and spins webbing, breeding fastest in hot, dry rooms.A warmth-loving generalist predatory mite that eats thrips larvae, whitefly eggs and nymphs and broad mites, and can persist on pollen.A soil-dwelling predatory mite, formerly sold as Hypoaspis miles, that hunts fungus gnat larvae, thrips pupae and other small arthropods in the growing medium.Releasing beneficial organisms before a pest is found, so a standing population is ready to catch the first arrivals rather than chase an outbreak.
