Organic pest control

If a pest threatens our crops, we choose a broad, integrated strategy. We use a diversity of natural enemies to suppress parasites. The knowledge behind this is a fascination in itself and we tell enthusiastically. The history of active biological control started with predatory mites: small, animal-parasitic spiders with a specific menu. Huverba uses three types of predatory mites against the two most numerous attackers:

Trips is a flying, very mobile, very general and difficult to reach insect. It creeps into buds and youngest plant parts and pricks cells there. The damage when stretching cells is enormous. In addition, trips transmit viruses. We use the predatory mite Amblyseiulus cucumeris against this pest.

White fly occurs only occasionally in the crops of Huverba. When we find this animal, we put in the parasitic wasp. This has the white fly on its menu.

The yew beetle is a difficult to combat, mobile insect. Its larvae are hidden in the ground. However, it is possible to reach them organically, we do not fill our syringe with chemistry, but with tiny nematodes. These find their own way in the ground and kill the beetle larvae.

Spider mites are small, plant parasitic spiders that are very common. These prick thousands of cells at the bottom of the leaf and can ruin plants at lightning speed.

We use two types of predatory mites against spider mites:

Phytoseiulus Persimilis: fast, active hunters, who continue to the end, including eating peers

Neoseiulus Californicus: less nervous stayers with a longer life and chances of survival. We also found this predatory mite in source material from suppliers: a chain-wide approach!

We all know aphids. We also know that ladybugs and their larvae eat aphids. In our gardens we also find parasitic wasps. A small black ‘fly’ that curiously lays enough eggs in their host. Ladybugs are difficult to apply, but parasitic wasps are excellent. Because every parasitic wasp needs a specific host, Huverba uses a mix of parasitic wasps against a mix of aphids.

Another very common pest is caterpillars. To remove that pressure we place pheromone traps, an adhesive layer with the sexual attractants of a moth. The males come up, but get caught in the glue layer. We are currently doing this against the carnation tortix and Duponchelia. Each species has different attractants and requires different pheromone traps. We continuously learn about new possibilities.