Practical experiences
The use of Amblyseius swirskii has produced very good results since 2005. While it is always difficult to spot Amblyseius cucumeris in the aubergine crop, A. swirskii is much easier to find. No more than one A. cucumeris per leaf are usually found, and just two or three A. cucumeris in old flowers in particular.
Amblyseius swirskii can establish itself very well on the basis of aubergine pollen. With no infestation and just pollen, it takes five to six weeks for the predatory mite to establish itself well. This is dependent on the numbers released. In the presence of prey, the mite can establish itself well within three weeks. The average numbers of A. swirskii found on each leaf varies from five per leaf (in situations with no infestation) to 10-20 per leaf (in infestation situations).
In all cases, A. swirskii was released together with the predatory bugs Dicyphus hesperus and Orius laevigatus to combat thrips, and the parasitic wasps Encarsia formosa and Eretmocerus eremicus to combat whitefly.
In addition to the problem-free thrips and whitefly control, there are also strong indications that A. swirskii keeps spider mite and broad mite in check in aubergine crops.