Along with microbial control there are also other forms of mechanisms that can still be safe to the environment. One way that you can control pests is to introduce insects that are natural predator to those pests. When a pest is located in a new environment it has lost the large population of the enemy that controlled its numbers. Reintroducing the natural enemy to its prey will control the percentage of pests in an area.98% of insects can be considered beneficial. In the right environment such as your garden, greenhouse, or fields insects can be harming it, or hurting it, that is the question.
Most beneficial predators will consume many pest insects during their development, but some play an important role in the suppression of some pests. Timing plays an important role in the suppression so that the predator is able to control the insect during the growing season. Although the impact of any one species of natural enemy may be minor, the combined impact of predators, parasitoids, and insect pathogens can be considerable.
© 2000 Julie Vidic, Dan Shields and Bryan Pennix. All Rights Reserved, except for the images, which retain their own copyrights.
This site was designed by Julie Vidic, Dan Shields and Bryan Pennix for MBI 699.W in August of 2000.