Beauveria bassiana for green peach aphid
Green peach aphid is on the label, but think twice if you are using Aphidius colemani. Beauveria kills more than 55% of adult wasps in lab and greenhouse work, and infects aphids that are already parasitised. The wasps cannot tell infected aphids apart, so they waste eggs on them. If you rely on parasitoids, use the aphid midge Aphidoletes or lacewing larvae on hot spots instead, and keep Beauveria for crops with no wasps released.
Before you order
Spores of an insect-killing fungus, sprayed on to the pest. They stick, germinate and grow through the insect's skin, so coverage is everything. It is slow, working over 7–10 days, and must start while numbers are low. It can also infect some beneficial insects. How it works, how to tell it has established and the supplier list are on the full Beauveria bassiana strain GHA profile.
Other controls for green peach aphid
- Aphidius colemaniParasitoid wasp · 0.25–4 /m² per release, at least three releases
- Aphidoletes aphidimyzaPredatory midge · 1–10 /m² per release, weekly
- Chrysoperla carneaGreen lacewing larvae · 2–20 /m² per release, weekly
- HoverfliesWild predator (larvae) · Wild — attract adults with open flowers
- LadybugsWild predator · Nothing to release — feed and shelter the ones already there
- Aphelinus abdominalisParasitoid wasp · 0.25–4 /m² per release, repeated
- Chrysoperla rufilabrisGreen lacewing larvae · 1–5 larvae /sq ft (about 11–54 /m²) per release