Page Intro: The biocontrol agents discussed on this site will do most of your heavy lifting when it comes to dealing with pests, but every now and then they — or you — can use some help. And this help can come in several forms as mentioned on this section’s overview page. But before we look at the finer points about these products, there are some general warnings you need to heed and considerations in need of, well, consideration. On this page you are advised to catch carefully, to get physical, and don’t interfere.
Catch Carefully
Using traps to capture and/or monitor pest populations is a great practice. It doesn’t matter if you’re an IPM practitioner or a stalwart nozzle-head. Monitoring pest populations by scouting with traps is smart and a real time saver. But when you’re using traps, you do need to be careful that you’re not catching too many natural enemies or introduced biocontrol agents.
To learn more about what biocontrols are more likely to show up on sticky traps, please see the Advisories sub-section of each biocontrol agent listed in the Biocontrols section. If the number of biocontrols trapped exceeds a tolerable level, simply reduce the number of days per week the traps are in place, just be sure to maintain consistency so as to obtain meaningful numbers. To learn more about this, check out the Scouting Info page.
Be sure to identify what you catch if found in any numbers, and try to recognize the obvious good guys. Don’t freak out and order controls, or spray, if it isn’t needed. An example would be if one were to catch a few tiny insects that, thanks to your being on top of stuff, you knew were tiny wasps. Tiny wasps aren’t a threat to your crop. If anything, in fact, they are beneficial. Ordering good bugs to control them would be a bit silly. Breaking out some sprays for them would be a double-silly. This is also worth noting even if you only spray. [Intro]
Get Physical
There was a grower who grew greenhouse tomatoes. His greenhouse was located next to a huge alfalfa field. In mid-summer the alfalfa, which was loaded with thrips, was harvested effectively tossing millions of thrips into the street. His greenhouse became a midnight thrips oasis in literally the span of one day. His crop was clobbered. He should have used screens and was so-advised for three seasons. He didn’t, though, citing cost and hassle as factors. Bad move. Unable to support a losing operation beyond three seasons, he went out of business.
Don’t hesitate to use physical barriers and other exclusion products like repellents (even trap crops, actually). This is smart. Keeping the pests out effectively means you won’t have to deal with them. You will need no sprays and you will need only preventive numbers of biological controls.
Speaking of physical controls, please don’t forget to pick ‘em if you see ‘em. We’ve seen large growers who rely on automation forget that fact. It’s very effective and it is worth your time. [Intro]
Don’t Interfere
Spraying chemicals and other substances, even the soft ones, can have a devastating impact on biocontrol agents. Even if it doesn’t kill the good bugs by direct contact or residual effect, these products can still have a negative impact by removing an essential aspect of their habitat: their food chain… the pests, in other words. While it’s true you may want zero pests, a minuscule population can sustain a handful of biocontrols. Maintain this situation and you’re winning the game.
Remember, the more you take out of the hands of mother nature, you more you put into your own. Be careful. [Intro]
