Prevent worm pests before plants become damaged with these moth egg parasites.
The Trichogramma are a group of minute wasps (smaller than a needle’s eye) that lay their eggs in pest moth eggs, where the wasp offspring develop, kill the pest larvae, and produce new wasps.
photo courtesy Peggy Greb, USDA Agricultural Research Service, #5526014 Bugwood.org
Preferred food:
The eggs of more than 200 pests, including borers, webworms, loopers, leafworms, fruitworms, cutworms, bollworms, and armyworms (except beet armyworms). The wasps lay their eggs in the pest eggs, killing them. The adult wasps emerge anywhere from 7 to 75 days, depending on temperature and moisture.
Trichogramma wasps attacks eggs of over 200 varieties of insects, almost all moth and butterfly eggs that hatch into worm pests. They should be used in 3 separate releases and 3 vials will do 500 square feet, or 10 vials per acre. The best time to release is at the first sign of moths and it will reduce the number of eggs which will reduce pest insects. Releases should be completed by mid June.
"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease" ~ Thomas Jefferson
