Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #404929
Research Project: Exotic Whitefly and Subtropical Invasive Pests of Vegetables and Ornamental Plants

Location: Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research

Title: Using banker plants to control mites

Author
item OSBORNE, LANCE - University Of Florida
item Ahmed, Muhammad
item McKenzie, Cindy

Submitted to: Growertalks
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2023
Publication Date: 4/1/2023
Citation: Osborne, L., Ahmed, M.Z., Mckenzie, C.L. 2023. Using banker plants to control mites. Growertalks. https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?srch=1&articleID=26216&.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mite infestations and pesticide resistance development are constant threats to many ornamental plants. This article introduces the banker plant system developed against mites to reduce the need for pesticide applications. We chose Banks grass mite (BGM), Oligonychus pratensis (Banks) to rear and introduce commercially available predatory mites. By using banker plants, we were able to show that predatory mites can be cost-effective and easily integrated into a grower’s existing production system. The use of banker plants allows for a more targeted and efficient dispersal of predatory mites, enabling growers to reduce the cost of purchasing and continuously releasing predatory mites and the amount of manual labor required to spread the predators while still achieving the desired level of pest control.