Quick Answer:
Biological controls like Amblyseius cucumeris for thrips and Phytoseiulus persimilis for spider mites offer targeted, chemical-free pest management—just be sure to identify pests correctly, maintain humidity, and avoid sprays to protect beneficial insects.
Like something out of a horror film, the army of purchased insects sense the trouble-makers and bite their head off as they emerge…. And just like that, my greenhouse problem is solved.
In the Beginning
Short Answer:
Biological controls, such as predatory mites like Amblyseius cucumeris for thrips and Phytoseiulus persimilis for spider mites, offer an effective, chemical-free solution by naturally targeting specific pests; accurate pest identification combined with maintaining proper humidity and cleanliness helps optimize their success in your greenhouse.
Speckled leaves on my strawberries make me think of spider mites, but I am wrong. When I tap a leaf with tell-tale speckled leaves, I catch three white immature thrips on a piece of paper.
Thrips move slowly, crawling or sometimes hopping but never really flying. They fall easily on the piece of paper I hold below the leaf. Whiteflies are a brighter white and they fly quickly as soon as a leaf is touched. I do not have whiteflies.
My immature thrips are the size of a 12-point Helvetica lower case “e” on the recycled paper I use to catch them and they are a serious bother on my strawberry plants.