Parasitic Wasp for Fig

The following was received via email:

I'M looking to introduce a parasitised wasp for fig trees. Would the correct wasp be Psyllaephagus? If so where could I purchase these in AB? Thanks, Susan

 

Figs produce here without pollination. Figs pollinated by wasps produce seeds - not an enhancement.

 

try Evergro / Westgro for beneficial insects, I think they will ship anywhere although the size of packaging is geared towards commercial growers and not retail customers.

 

Hi Eric:

Can you find out from Susan why she wants a parasitized
wasp for Figs? I think there is a minor problem here with
terminology. I refer to a parasidic wasp as one that will
come in and attack a Carpenter Worm or a Navel Orange
Worm, for examples, on various Figs such as Mission,
Brown Turkey, Calimyrna, Kadota and so on. The wasp
will sting the worm and lays its eggs and then the junveniles
have a host to feed on when they emerge from hatching.
We have used various parasidic wasps here for Bio Control
on Figs for many years, at least 25 years that I know of.

One misconception about Figs is that a wasp does indeed
carry out the pollination process for us in most all fruiting
varieties. Without a wasp we would not ever get a Calimyrna
Fig to eat from our trees as an example. There would be no
fruit set on a Calimryna tree without a wasp. My old Plant
Pathology instructor used to kid us in that every time we ate
a Fig we also were eating a worm that was trapped inside in
the Fig as a result of pollination.

Jim

 

Hi Jim, I was not sure I understood Susan's message either. I do not know it she was looking for a pollinator or a pest control method. I will try to contact her.

 

Other kinds of figs are not pollinated.

 

Susan

Thanks for all the interest.

I'm looking for the parasitic wasp to control a white fungus on fig trees for a commercial account. Customer has had this problem before and controlled the problem without chemicals.
I will be looking at the trees tomorrow and getting all the knowledge myself to solve this problem. Susan

 

other suggestions

Two more places... Bug Factory (local) and also Koppert (Woldwide shipping). The last one has a great site to get more info on biologicals

 

Might this white fungus be something like scale insects or mealybugs?