{"product_id":"spider-mite-thrips-predator-sachets-koppert","title":"Houseplant Pest Guard – Spider Mite \u0026 Thrips Predator Sachets | Spical Plus \u0026 Thripex (Koppert)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e🛡️ Type: Live Biological Control (Preventative \u0026amp; Treatment)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKoppert breeder sachets of predatory mites: elite units trained to hunt spider mites (Spical Plus), thrips (Thripex), or both. Each sachet is a living colony that patrols your plants for weeks. The tradeoff: they're alive, so they need a week's lead time, the right conditions, and deployment the day they land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA spray is an airstrike. This is a standing army.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA spray is one dramatic blast and a satisfying body count, then a surviving egg or two rebuilds the whole family within a fortnight. Predator sachets fight a different kind of war. A unit moves in, sets up a perimeter and stays on patrol for weeks, picking off anything that tries to move in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou won't see them work. Each mite is smaller than a full stop. That's not a weakness; it's what covert operations look like. The only evidence they were there is the damage that never happens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeet the units\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e🕷️ Spical Plus, the spider mite specialists:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eNeoseiulus californicus\u003c\/em\u003e hunt spider mites at every life stage, from egg to adult, and also take out broad mite and other pest mites.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e🪲 Thripex, the thrips specialists:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eNeoseiulus cucumeris\u003c\/em\u003e ambush thrips at the most vulnerable moment of their lives, eating eggs as they hatch and the youngest larvae, so the next generation never makes it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e⏳ Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial forces don't get dropped in tired, and neither do ours. Predatory mites have a shelf life measured in days, so any shop that keeps them on a shelf is selling you a dying army. We don't stock them at all. Your order goes to Koppert, who raise and pack a fresh unit for your mission alone. They arrive hungry, at full strength, with reinforcements still hatching inside the sachet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat takes about a week longer than our other products: a week of preparation for a month on patrol. Need them by a certain date? Deploy a week early.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e🎯 Timing is everything.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeployed early, these units stop an invasion before you ever see it. Already under attack? They'll take the fight to an existing infestation too. They just need the right battle plan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReal special forces don't walk into a stronghold alone. They soften the target first, then go in to finish the job and hold the ground. Do the same:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSoften the target:\u003c\/b\u003e Give the plant a good shower or wipe the leaves down to knock back the adult pests. Water won't harm the predators you send in after.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSend in more troops:\u003c\/b\u003e On a heavy infestation, double the sachets: 2–4 per plant instead of 1–2.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHold the ground:\u003c\/b\u003e The predators work through eggs, young and survivors over the following weeks, and stop the next generation taking hold.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery sachet does a 3–4 week tour of duty. Rotate fresh troops in on schedule and the perimeter never drops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e📋 Fail to prepare, and you prepare to fail.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePick the right terrain:\u003c\/b\u003e These units are built for humid ground. Spical struggles below about 60% humidity and Thripex below about 70%. Tents, propagators, cabinets, bathrooms, greenhouses and grouped plants on a humidity tray are ideal; a dry, centrally heated room is not.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNo friendly fire:\u003c\/b\u003e Most insecticides kill predators too. Keep sprays away for a few weeks either side of deployment.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNo rival units:\u003c\/b\u003e Koppert advise against putting Thripex on the same plants as Swirski, Anso-mite or Limonica, as they can eat each other.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHold the shade:\u003c\/b\u003e Hang sachets in the middle of the foliage, out of direct sun and away from heaters.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eChoose your mission\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePick your pest:\u003c\/b\u003e Spider Mites (Spical Plus), Thrips (Thripex), or Both. Choosing Both gets you that many of \u003ci\u003eeach\u003c\/i\u003e, for less than buying them separately.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePick how many sachets:\u003c\/b\u003e Koppert's guide is 1–2 per plant (or per square metre where plants touch) for prevention, and 2–4 per plant for an existing infestation. Count your pest-prone plants and round up.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA single sachet is a cheap reconnaissance mission on one problem plant. Spical Plus 100 and 500, and Thripex 500, arrive as Koppert's sealed trade boxes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003e🌍 Theatres of operation\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHouseplant collections:\u003c\/b\u003e Calathea, Alocasia, Monstera, Anthurium, Philodendron, Ficus, Schefflera, ivy, palms, orchids and Hoya.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGrow tents and propagators:\u003c\/b\u003e Warm, humid and enclosed, where pests multiply fastest and predators thrive.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGreenhouses and conservatories:\u003c\/b\u003e Citrus, chillies, strawberries, cucumbers and ornamentals. (Koppert advise against use on tomatoes.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003e🪂 Deployment orders\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDeploy on arrival:\u003c\/b\u003e Hang sachets the day they land. Troops kept waiting lose strength.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDon't open the sachet:\u003c\/b\u003e Each one has a built-in exit. Hold it by the tab to avoid squashing the mites.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHang in the shade:\u003c\/b\u003e Middle of the plant, out of direct sun and away from heaters.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMaintain the terrain:\u003c\/b\u003e Mist or group plants if the air is dry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eRotate every 3–4 weeks:\u003c\/b\u003e Fresh troops keep the perimeter unbroken.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e🌱 Rose's Pro-Tip:\u003c\/b\u003e Using both units? Station them on different plants, or at different heights on bigger ones. Specialists work best with their own patch to patrol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e❓ Mission Briefing: Your Questions Answered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre they safe around children and pets?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Predatory mites don't bite people or animals and have no interest in them. The only caution is the bran carrier, which can irritate anyone with dust or mite allergies, so handle sachets by the tab and wash your hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eWill they escape and spread through my house?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. They only eat pest mites and thrips, not plants, furniture, fabric or food. When there's nothing left to hunt, their numbers fade away. You'll almost certainly never see one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eDo they work on an existing infestation?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Knock the adults back first with a shower or wipe-down, then use 2–4 sachets per plant. The predators work through eggs, young and survivors over the following weeks. Thripex targets thrips eggs and young larvae rather than adults, which is why that first wash matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow do I know they're working?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLook for what stops happening: no fresh webbing, no new silvery thrips scarring, healthy new leaves. With a magnifying glass you might spot them on the undersides of leaves: tiny, pale, fast-moving and pear-shaped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow many sachets do I need?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor prevention, 1–2 per plant, or per square metre where plants touch. For an existing infestation, 2–4 per plant. Replace every 3–4 weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan I use them alongside sprays, neem or insecticidal soap?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot at the same time. Most insecticides, including oil and soap sprays, kill predators on contact. Knock pests back with a shower or wipe-down instead, or finish any spray treatment and wait a few weeks before deploying.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eDo they work in a normal living room?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey work best above about 60% humidity for Spical, or 70% for Thripex. Many heated UK homes are drier than that in winter. Grouping plants, using a humidity tray or misting helps, and tents, propagators, cabinets and bathrooms are ideal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy does delivery take about a week?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause they're raised fresh for your order rather than sitting on a shelf. Predatory mites only last days once packed, so anything kept in stock would arrive weakened. Yours arrive hungry and at full strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan I store them until I need them?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly for a day or two, somewhere cool (10–15°C) and dark, and never in the fridge. Order when you're ready to use them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan I use Spical Plus and Thripex together?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. That's what the Both option is for. Station them on different plants, or at different heights on larger ones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eWill they harm my plants?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. They're carnivores and don't eat plant tissue at all. Koppert advise against using them on tomatoes, but they're fine for houseplants, herbs, chillies, citrus and most greenhouse crops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003eDo you ship outside the UK?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Live predators can't survive long international journeys, and many countries restrict releasing non-native mites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cb\u003e📐 Unit specifications\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSpical Plus:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eNeoseiulus californicus\u003c\/em\u003e, 100 predators per sachet, plus food mites and bran. Targets spider mites, broad mite and other pest mites. Best at 13–32°C and above 60% humidity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThripex:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eNeoseiulus cucumeris\u003c\/em\u003e, plus food mites and bran. Targets thrips eggs and young larvae. Best at 15–25°C and above 70% humidity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNot for:\u003c\/b\u003e Tomatoes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHandling:\u003c\/b\u003e The bran carrier can irritate people with dust or mite allergies. Handle by the tab and wash your hands afterwards.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eIf you can't deploy immediately:\u003c\/b\u003e Hold for no more than 1–2 days somewhere cool (10–15°C) and dark. Never in the fridge.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e📋 \u003cb\u003eLogistics:\u003c\/b\u003e Raised to order by Koppert and packed fresh, so allow about a week for dispatch. Smaller units are counted out from sealed Koppert trade boxes. UK delivery only.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Koppert","offers":[{"title":"Spider Mites (Spical Plus) \/ 1 Sachet","offer_id":54942347460954,"sku":"KOP-SPICALP-1","price":3.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Spider Mites (Spical Plus) \/ 5 Sachets","offer_id":49809027826010,"sku":"KOP-SPICALP-5","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Spider Mites (Spical Plus) \/ 10 Sachets","offer_id":54935145677146,"sku":"KOP-SPICALP-10","price":19.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Spider Mites (Spical Plus) \/ 25 Sachets","offer_id":54935145709914,"sku":"KOP-SPICALP-25","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Spider Mites (Spical Plus) \/ 50 Sachets","offer_id":54935145742682,"sku":"KOP-SPICALP-50","price":73.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Spider Mites (Spical Plus) \/ 100 Sachets","offer_id":54935145775450,"sku":"KOP-SPICALP-100","price":140.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Thrips (Thripex) \/ 1 Sachet","offer_id":54942347493722,"sku":"KOP-THRIPEX-1","price":3.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Thrips (Thripex) \/ 5 Sachets","offer_id":54942347526490,"sku":"KOP-THRIPEX-5-M","price":8.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Thrips (Thripex) \/ 10 Sachets","offer_id":54942347559258,"sku":"KOP-THRIPEX-10-M","price":12.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Thrips (Thripex) \/ 25 Sachets","offer_id":54942347592026,"sku":"KOP-THRIPEX-25-M","price":21.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Thrips (Thripex) \/ 50 Sachets","offer_id":54942347624794,"sku":"KOP-THRIPEX-50-M","price":33.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Thrips (Thripex) \/ 100 Sachets","offer_id":54942347657562,"sku":"KOP-THRIPEX-100-M","price":53.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Thrips (Thripex) \/ 500 Sachets","offer_id":54942347690330,"sku":"KOP-THRIPEX-500-M","price":149.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Both (Spical Plus + Thripex) \/ 1 Sachet","offer_id":54947601678682,"sku":"BFH-PESTGUARD-1x1-M","price":7.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Both (Spical Plus + Thripex) \/ 5 Sachets","offer_id":54942347362650,"sku":"BFH-PESTGUARD-5x5-M","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Both (Spical Plus + Thripex) \/ 10 Sachets","offer_id":54942347395418,"sku":"BFH-PESTGUARD-10x10-M","price":25.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Both (Spical Plus + Thripex) \/ 25 Sachets","offer_id":54942347428186,"sku":"BFH-PESTGUARD-25x25-M","price":51.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Both (Spical Plus + Thripex) \/ 50 Sachets","offer_id":54947601711450,"sku":"BFH-PESTGUARD-50x50-M","price":91.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Spider Mites (Spical Plus) \/ 500 Sachets","offer_id":54948121215322,"sku":"KOP-SPICALP-500","price":499.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Both (Spical Plus + Thripex) \/ 100 Sachets","offer_id":54948121248090,"sku":"BFH-PESTGUARD-100x100-M","price":176.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Both (Spical Plus + Thripex) \/ 500 Sachets","offer_id":54948121280858,"sku":"BFH-PESTGUARD-500x500-M","price":629.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0774\/9861\/4106\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_1dab4aee-7e3f-4a5e-82f1-6a2004175f81.jpg?v=1791580257","url":"https:\/\/blackflaghorticulture.com\/products\/spider-mite-thrips-predator-sachets-koppert","provider":"Black Flag Horticulture","version":"1.0","type":"link"}