Associates is the oldest, most experienced producer of beneficials in the United States. We have a 90+ year record of producing premium quality beneficial organisms for our Members. Associates raises almost one billion beneficials each year at our facility in Ventura County’s Santa Clara Valley, home to one of California’s richest agricultural areas. Our current production includes Mealybug Destroyer Beetles, Red scale parasitoids, and Californicus predatory mites. Our newest species is the Vine Mealybug parasitoid, Anagyrus vladimiri (formerly pseudococci). Although historically our beneficials have been produced for the benefit of our citrus and avocado growers-members, they are also effective at controlling a wide variety of pests in different horticultural and agricultural crops. To find out more about the variety of pests they can be used to control, refer to species specific pages below.
Mealybug Control
Mealybugs are pests on many permanent and greenhouse crops causing significant damage when not properly controlled. Chemical control is effective in some cases. However, in most situations, the unseen control of these pests by beneficial wasps and beetles is substantial. Like other pests in the Pseudococcidae family, mealybugs attract ants and create sooty mold which [...]
Vine Mealybug (VMB) Control
Vine mealybugs (VMB) can cause severe damage in your vineyard in several ways: VMB transmit viruses that cause Grapevine Leafroll and Red Blotch. VMB deposits copious amounts of honeydew on grape bunches. Honeydew serves as a substrate for black sooty mold. VMB can infest bunches directly, making the grapes unfit for harvest. Some of the [...]
Spider Mite Control
Control of Spider Mites on a Variety of Plants Associates Insectary raises and sells tens of millions of this highly effective mite each year. Associates Insectary hand raises millions of these predatory mites each month by feeding them actual pest mite eggs, not an artificial food source. This expensive and labor intensive practice maintains a [...]
California Red Scale Control – Parasitic Wasp
Control of California Red Scale and Other Scales Heavy infestations of Red scale will stress citrus trees and reduce yield. High scale levels can even kill branches and entire trees. Although citrus is the main crop damaged by Red scale, it can also be found infesting 77 different species of plants. Aphytis melinus is a tiny [...]