Aphid parasite contains 250, 500, 1000 or 5000 Aphidius colemaniparasitic wasps of aphids and greenfly. These tiny beneficial insects lay their eggs in aphids. The aphid then dies and turns into a parasitised mummy. This is brown in colour and contains a developing Aphidius wasp. This grows and eats its way out of the aphid punching a small hole through the mummy to emerge. This process takes about 2 weeks in a suitable environment . The newly emerged Aphidiuswill then start to search for other aphids to lay eggs and kill.. This is a classical form of biological control at work.
Aphid parasite is more effective in a controlled environment like greenhouses
Introduce when temperatures over 13.c
Repeat introductions are required if treating over a season
For preventative applications introduce every 2 weeks in the peak season for aphids
For light infestations, introduce weekly for at least three weeks
Large Aphid colonies may also require the introduction of Lacewing larvae , Ladybird larvae or Aphidoletes
If there are multiple species of aphids , consider Aphiscout
Do not use insecticides when introducing natural enemies like Aphidius
Remove sticky traps when introducing, as the wasps get caught on them
Aphidius colemani do not parasitize all species of aphids but do parasitize the following species:
