Mycoinsecticidal Products
Beauveria bassiana
We’ve heard some pretty good things about these products, and very little bad (we’ll cover that, read on). And we are pretty comfortable in saying that these products are fairly compatible with beneficials.
Beauveria bassiana (BOH-vaerr-ee-ah bah-SEE-ohn-nah) mycoinsecticidal products, such as Naturalis-O and BotaniGard, contain visible spores of the naturally occurring insect-specific pathogenic fungus. Naturalis-O also contains a vegetable oil emulsifier. BotaniGard, according to the manufacturer, contains many more viable spores than the competitive product, but it has a petroleum oil base. The latter is currently the only product labeled for use on vegetable crops and may soon have a vegetable oil base, too.
The B. bassiana fungus works by physically coming into contact with the host insect, one of the myriad species of sucking and chewing pests affected by the fungus. This is accomplished by spraying the viable fungus spores directly onto the insect, using conventional spray equipment, or if the insect travels through the sprayed area while the leaves still contain viable fungal spores, or through insect to insect contact (horizontal or lateral translocation).
Once fungus-insect contact is established, the spores attach themselves to insects cuticle (skin or covering). After securely attached, the spores secrete specific enzymes which dissolve the cuticle at the point of contact. This facilitates the entry of the fungus’s hyphae (kind of like roots) into the body of the pest.
Like that of roots, the hyphae absorb and transport nutrients to the spores, which grow and multiply, attacking the pest to an even greater degree, sending out more hyphae. The theft of the moisture and the robbing of the nutrients causes the pest to die. Depending upon the penetration resistance encountered by the fungal spores, which varies from pest to pest, death, or least a detectable decrease in activity, can occur in as little as 24 hours — amazingly quick for a biological control. The average maximum amount of time is 5 days.
The adhesion and growth of the fungi can sometimes be detected by the scout. Usually there will be some sign: cuticle color change, lack of insect mobility, lack of feeding, no-nooky, etc. In some cases, after the death of the target insect, the fungal growth may actually be seen on the cuticle of the dead pest. This will appear as a whitish “fuzz.” This is not always visible, though, and cannot be relied upon to serve as an indicator of product effectiveness.
Effective death-from-within of pests can affect all life stages — on contact — these points represent two advantages over Bacillus thuringiensis. However, as usual, there are some drawbacks, too.
- These products may have compatibility problems with some fungicides (you should wait 48 hours before applying fungicides), which makes sense, since this is a fungus we’re dealing with.
- This product, we’ve heard, needs to stay wet on the foliage as long as possible to achieve maximum results, this, of course is conductive to fungal disease growth, but we’re not sure how valid this claim is. According to one label, residual effects can last 3-7 days post-application.
- B. bassiana may be pathogenic to honeybees, and thus incompatible, (though compatibility is suspected with the Bombus spp. of bumblebees).
- Nozzle screens of finer than 25 mesh should be removed to prevent clogging.
- Phytotoxicity may occur. It is advisable to treat a test plot before spraying the entire range.
- You shouldn’t use this product on poinsettias after the development of their bracts.
Some of these products’ advantages, not mentioned previously, include: its short 4 hour re-entry interval (REI), same as Bt; their ability to manage resistant pests without the fear of them becoming resistant to them, as is the case with biocontrols; their long shelf life (2 years from date at 35-78°F) and; lastly, they can effectively control many economically important pests at an acceptable price. (*Please note, prolonged storage at 90°F may impair product viability. Use within 8 hours once diluted.)
Pests affected include all stages of whiteflies, thrips, fungus gnats and shore flies, aphids, mealybugs, leaf hoppers, obscure and strawberry root weevils, lygus bugs, flea beetles, cucumber beetles, black vine weevils, red and two-spotted spider mites, psyllids and many other pests, including several species of destructive leaf-eating moth larvae.
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Mineral Controls
Sluggo Iron Phosphate
Iron phosphate (brand name Sluggo), is an organic slug and snail controlling compound that breaks down into fertilizer which has proven itself extremely safe and amazingly effective, even in the wettest of conditions where slugs and snails tend to be most problematic. In fact, based on the copious amounts of positive feedback we’ve gotten over the years, we can say with conviction that this product last longer, works better, and is much safer than the industry standard, highly toxic, metaldehyde.
This product can be used just about anywhere, and up to the day of harvest on crops. To use it, towards evening simply scatter the plastic-like granules (see inset) on the ground or in the pots/benches where slugs and snails are found feeding (even in wet conditions). Once they have eaten the bait, they’ll find cover and slowly die. And it is literally as simple as that.
You may purchase Iron Phosphate bait online now!
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Smothering and Suffocation Products
Insecticidal Soap
Safer Insecticidal Soap is made from the potassium salts of fatty acids found in certain plant oils. It works on contact by breaking down the target pest’s cuticle — promoting dehydration and, ultimately, death. We don’t really consider this product biorational. It kills on contact after all, but due to its more or less physical mode of action and minuscule residual period (measured in a mere hours at the most), it’s an ideal addition to your arsenal. Please note, however, being a broad spectrum, contact insecticide, this product will harm most beneficials if it is applied directly on them. Therefore, judicious, small-scale spot applications are recommended in situations where biocontrol agents are already on site.
Safer’s Insecticidal Soap (the most common brand that we know of), is used indoors or out, is effective on aphids, cabbageworms, earwigs, flea beetles, lace bugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, psyllids, sawfly larvae, scale crawlers, squash bugs, thrips, spider mites, whiteflies, and more.
It is labeled for use on nearly all crops: bedding plants, flowers, foliage plants, fruits, and nuts, herbs, and spices, ornamentals, pot plants, trees, and shrubs, vegetables, and others. But, with that said, insecticidal soap is phytotoxic to certain plants. Therefore, test plots should be treated prior to broad usage.
Safer Insecticidal Soap breaks down fast, usually within 48 hours thus insecticidal soap is highly recommended for use a few days prior to predator and parasitoid inoculations, especially if pest numbers are high. In this capacity, because of its fast breakdown time, insecticidal soap will bring pest numbers down to more manageable levels, thus increasing the speed and odds of your biocontrols’ effectiveness.
Safer’s Insecticidal Soap, in the concentrated form we carry, is quite economical, fast working, safe, and effective. To use: Mix approximately 2.5ozs. per gallon of water. Repeat applications weekly, 2-3 times, or as needed.
You may purchase Insecticidal Soap online now!
Horticultural Oil
This product contains a self-emulsifying, high paraffinic petroleum oil [98%, U.R. min. 92% superior type (contains Sunspray)] used specifically to coat and smother certain pests of deciduous fruit and shade trees, roses, and ornamental shrubs. Coating pests with horticultural oil blocks the passage of air through their spiracles (breathing holes), thus killing them.
It is labeled for use against overwintering eggs of European red spider mites, scale insects, apple aphids (not rosy aphids), bud moths, leafrollers, red bugs, codling moth larvae, pear psylla (adults), blister mites, galls, whitefly nymphs, and mealybugs.
This product may be used at four different times: during the dormant stage (buds not showing green), the green tip stage (when bursting blossom buds show around ¼" green), the delayed dormant stage (when leaves of blossom buds are out ¼"-½"), and this product can also be used during the growing season as a ultra-fine summer oil treatment.
Use 2.5-8ozs. of this concentrated oil per gallon of water, depending upon the time of use, pest, and tree, or shrub to be treated. Please note: horticultural oil will prove harmful to biocontrols if it contacts them directly. However, when used as a dormant oil, this product will impact very few. Like soap, it’s okay for biocontrols when dry — but for oil this takes ~8 hrs.
A special note to interiorscapers using this product: using a drop-cloth, cover the floor or carpet at your account. A carpet can become terribly stained or, worse, someone could slip on an oily floor. Another idea, for anyone, not just interiorscapers, is to apply horticultural oil with a brush — brushing it directly onto scale insects, etc. This will offer optimum control of the product; no mess, no overkill, no waste, plus it will provide better contact and, thus, better control.
You may purchase Horticultural Oil online now!
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