Growers in Kenya, and throughout Africa, now have access to Biobest’s sticky cards and rolls via Real IPM Kenya.
Acquired by Biobest in 2018, Real IPM Kenya has become the sole African distributor of this extensive range of cards and traps employed to monitor and trap pests worldwide.
Blue or yellow?
The sticky cards are available in two colour ranges - yellow and blue. While blue is specific to western flower thrips (WFT), yellow is slightly broader and includes thrips species, whitefly, leaf miner and fungus gnat. Yellow sticky cards can also attract some flying beneficial insects, hence they need to be used with caution in greenhouses where these beneficials have been introduced.
Test which is best for you
Real IPM Kenya research suggests that under UVa polythene film, blue sticky cards attract more western flower thrips; while with UVb polythene film, the yellow sticky cards attract more western flower thrips.
However, they recommend you carry out your own mini-trial by putting both cards, adjacent to one another, 15 cm above the crop canopy in a greenhouse. Check which colour attracts the most western flower thrips before making a final decision to proceed large scale with one color choice.
The cards are 10 cm by 25 cm with a new Hook System. They come in packs of 20 at an affordable price. The rolls are 15 cm by 125 m. It is recommended to introduce one card/10 m2, suspended 15 cm above the crop canopy. Some growers prefer placing the cards within the crop canopy and/or near base of crop to trap thrips pupae emerging from the soil.
Real IPM is the sole distributor of Biobest sticky cards and rolls in Kenya and Africa.
Biobest