Work by members of the PSD Westfalen-Lippe has succeeded to reduce the cost of insecticide use on Cyclemen production by 70-100% by using integrated pest management. Essentially, predator mites Amblyseius cucumeris (sometimes supplied in combination with Amblyseius barkeri) were used to combat the main thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and Thrips tabaci. By releasing the mites only twice during the crop cycle, in higher than recommended concentrations, better populations were obtained, but in repeated cases they were not able to sustain themselves and thrip control failed. In a crop of Cyclamen persicum potted week 25, the plant tonic ‘ lactic acid fermented cereal mix’ was applied as a 0.3% solution in weeks 26, 31, 33, 37, 39. The mites were applied in bags in week 40, one bag/mq. Earlier flowering resulted and a much greater predator to prey ratio was obtained (10 times more on the flowers as oppoosed to control plants) resulting in excellent thrip control and the predatory population was more stable. No reduction in the pH value of the pot substrate was found. Chronica Horticulturae. ISHS www.ishs.org E-mail info@ishs.org