About this product
Phytoseiulus persimilis is the standard treatment for glasshouse red spider mite, used by amateur growers and commercial nurseries alike. It is a fast, active hunter rather than a slow preventative, which makes it the one to reach for when you already have an outbreak.
The reason it works so well is a difference in pace. Above 60% humidity Phytoseiulus develops roughly twice as fast as the spider mite does, and those are precisely the conditions spider mites dislike. Damp air tips the balance twice over, slowing the pest and speeding the predator, which is why raising humidity alongside releasing them makes such a difference. Under good conditions a single female will clear ten spider mite females and their young inside a week.
Each tube holds approximately 2,000 living predator mites carried in bran. Expect to see the bran and not much else. The mites are barely visible to the naked eye, so an apparently empty-looking tube is normal and not a sign that anything has gone wrong.
If you are treating preventatively, or catching mites early in the season rather than fighting an established population, the slow-release Amblyseius andersoni sachets are the better choice. Use Phytoseiulus when the numbers are already up.
This is a live product. Orders placed by 10am on Monday are despatched later the same week.