There are going to be a lot of fat ladybugs lounging on those leaves... I hope the good mites kick the bad mites first. This is an epic battle... HBO should pick up on it... Game of Bugs!
I sanitized everything last night and pulled out quiet a few fallen soldiers. I’d say there’s less than 50 LBs now.
I’ve spent the past week doing a deep dive on all the different species of beneficials, and how they react.
These particular species of mites aren't as “desirable” as say the two spotted mites to traditional LBs. Something about a pheromone the spotted mites release as they’re eating the plant juice is what the “tracking” bugs use to find them, whereas others wander around aimlessly and accidentally “bump” into them, so they become food.
The persimilis aren’t as hardy as the californicus and the other species that I’ve been using, but they have the most instant effectiveness.
I have 1000 cucumeris, californicus, and swirskii coming tomorrow. They are more tolerable and will be more effective for developing a “management colony” if my research is correct.
There are definitely species of predatory mites that don’t mix well according to a “battle of the mite species” report I found online. I think this combination will be the most effective species for cannabis, given the size of the infestation.
There’s another species of the LB called the Spidermite Destroyers (Stethorus punctillum) that is non discriminative and would kill them all. They’re smaller, black, and way more expensive.
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