On this page the following entries were made in the “IPM Savvy” category. Check out other categories in our Archives.
Bug Blog Archives for “IPM Savvy”
Like Adam and Eve, If Only
When some people enter the world of biocontrol — using good bugs to control bad bugs — they are hopeful and idealistic, but may have the wrong notion of what to expect. Some tend to think they can establish biocontrol agents in their garden, greenhouse, or other growing area as simply as making a single release then letting nature get to work. And while that’s a really cool thought, using biocontrol agents is more complicated than introducing one male bug and one female bug, like Adam and Eve, and spinning a little Barry White or Marvin Gaye on the phonograph. Population dynamics rule the day and need to be properly understood.
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The Entomology and IPM Success Relationship
Biological pest control, when one first sees it, must seem terribly complex. What with all those fresh terms filling our minds and having to grasp novel ideas like quelling our expectations of instakill-satisfaction, and focusing our biological pest controls strategies such as better identifying our pests and acting proactively. These complexities, however, are common to pest control as a whole for the most part so the biological part of the equation doesn’t really add a new layer. Still, using living organisms to control other living organisms worries many. They think to themselves that they must be an entomologist or bug scientist to really succeed at biocontrol. It’s just not so.
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Summer’s Good Fighting Time
August and September is a time when many growers let things slide a bit. Gardeners put their gardens on autopilot to some extent, and commercial growers are either gearing up for the fall season or have closed their doors until next year. Vacation and summer activities take up residence in the mind, before time runs out. But there is still some work to be done, if you want fewer pests problems next year.
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Why Multiple Biocontrol Releases Makes Sense
I often explain why making multiple releases of biocontrols makes sense in human terms. I typically do this over the phone, but I don’t think I’ve ever written about my oft-used analogy. The one I resort to most often is to compare releasing of biocontrols to the US Civil War tactic where rows of infantry — the Line — would keep pressure on opposing forces by creating an unceasing barrage of fire.
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