Tip Top Bio-Control – Hobbyist Supply

Encarsia Formosa- (Parasite)

 

Temperature range
65°– 98° Fahrenheit. 20% – 80% Relative Humidity

Adult
Emerges as 1/8" wasp which starts laying eggs in 1 to 2 days. Is attracted to whiteflies by the smell of the honeydew. If the temperature is below 62° Fahrenheit, the wasp will not fly to new host plants.

Feeds On
Whitefly scale.

Eggs
Laid in whitefly nymphs on underside of leaves. Hatch in 8 days, develop over 20 days turning the host whitefly nymph black.

Shipped
In egg stage inside whitefly nymphs (blackened), attached to cards. Approximately 100 per card.

Release Rates
2 – 4 per 1 sq. ft. or 1 – 2 per plant at 1 to 2 week intervals until 80% of the whitefly scale are blackened, then once or twice a year. Tomatoes: 10,000 per acre biweekly. Cucumbers: 20,000 per acre biweekly. Best to start release at first sight of whiteflies on yellow sticky cards.

Note: Important to catch whiteflies on yellow sticky cards. You can also shake your plants and vacuum the flying whitefly adults to help decrease the population. Strip is 10 cards with 100 Encarsia per card.