How to release PersiLiv (Phytoseiulus persimilis)

What's in the PersiLiv tube?

Predator: Phytoseiulus persimilis

Carrier: Vermiculite 

How to release?

• For best results, release as soon as receiving shipment.
• Gently rotate the tube to evenly mix the mites in the carrying material. The predator tends to crawl upwards, continuous rotating and mixing will help for even application.
• Shake the bottle while rotating to release the contents. You can sprinkle the material directly on top of the plant canopy or on dry rockwool slabs.
• Persimilis prefers humid but not wet environment. If it is going to rain, postpone the release till plants are dry.
• Avoid chemical pesticides (organic or synthetic) before and after release.
• Avoid top watering or washing plants after release. 

Can you store Phytoseiulus persimilis?

We recommend releasing the predatory mites immediately upon arrival.

If storage is necessary persimilis can be stored for 1 day in the fridge (4°C-8°C and relative humidity of 70-90%). Avoid direct contact with sunlight.

How to check the quality of the mites?

Due to low temps during shipment predatory mites are not active. If at first you don’t see any movement, allow the shipment to come to room temperature before conducting a quality check.

To check, gently rotate the tube to evenly mix the mites. Pour a small sample on a white piece of paper and use a minimum 10x lens to spot the mite.

How to promote establishment?

Temp and humidity: Persimilis prefers a warm and humid environment (25°C and RH over 75%). 

How to spot persimilis after releasing?

Persimilis is a tiny orange fast-moving predator that is very easy to distinguish from its prey, which is slow and pale green with two dark spots on its sides. Sometime in the winter some spider mites may develop a red tinge but can still be distinguished from persimilis by its slow movement and the two spots on its back. 

Mark the hot spots of the spider mites and release persimilis there. These sites can be assessed routinely to determine the spider mite population as well as the establishment of persimilis.

Reinfestation by spider mite can occur, especially in closed interior environments such as greenhouses. If low levels of persimilis are still around, they will reestablish to compensate for the outbreak. Growers should practice check-ups routinely to determine the presence or absence of both spider mites and persimilis.

How long till you see results and how often should you be reordering?

Persimilis application is curative rather than preventative. Release persimilis weekly in the spider mite hot spots until spider mite numbers start decreasing and persimilis population on the infested leaves is increasing. Generally, it takes 2-3 weeks to eliminate the infestation. This is a general rate, reordering rate can differ significantly depending on the grow environment (greenhouse, grow tent, house plants etc), temp/humidity, and the infestation level.