Key takeaways
- A curated reading list of ~30 books for growers exploring biological pest control and integrated pest management.
- Foundational IPM titles, plant disease references, insect ID guides, and beginner-friendly primers — grouped by topic.
- Each entry includes edition, year, author(s), ISBN where known, and an honest note on how useful the book is.
- Find each book via Open Library (libraries near you) or Google Books (preview); some titles are out of print but still available through interlibrary loan.
- Books complement — not replace — hands-on field experience in biocontrol and IPM.
If you're exploring biocontrol and integrated pest management, what follows are books worth reading if you can find them. Everything is here except the hands-on experience.
General IPM & Biocontrol Guides
Start here. These titles cover the foundational concepts of integrated pest management and biological pest control, and several are widely considered "must-reads" in the field.
Common-Sense Pest Control
First Edition, 1991, Olkowski, Daar & Olkowski — ISBN: 0-942391-63-2. Long touted as an IPM bible. No longer in circulation. A real shame.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Natural Enemies Handbook
First Edition, 1998, Flint & Dreistadt — ISBN: 1-879906-41-4. A skinny book but packed with great info.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
IPM for Floriculture and Nurseries
First Edition, 1998, Dreistadt, Clark & Flint — ISBN: 1-879906-46-5. A fat book, packed with an even larger quantity of great info than the Natural Enemies Handbook.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect & Disease Control
First Edition, edited by Ellis & Bradley — ISBN: 0-87596-124-X. A really complete guide. Everyone should have this title.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Biological Pest Management for Interior Plantscapes
Second Edition, 1987, Steiner & Elliott — ISBN: 0-919975-12-7. Out of print, but this little booklet was highly praised. Somewhere out there there's a copy with your name on it.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
First Edition, 1992, edited by Bradley & Ellis — ISBN: 0-87857-999-0. Ancient and probably out of print. Still a good book that gave a broad view of everything.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Plant Disease References
Disease management is half the IPM equation. The following titles cover greenhouse ornamentals, potted crops, foliage plants, perennials, roses, and tropicals.
The Gardener's Guide to Plant Diseases
First Edition, 1995, Pleasant — ISBN: 0-88266-274-0. If this book had photos it would be number one. As it is, still a great resource.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Ball Field Guide to Diseases of Greenhouse Ornamentals
First Edition, 1992, Daughtrey & Chase — ISBN: 0-9626796-3-1. A very technical and worthwhile disease guide.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Diseases of Annuals and Perennials, A Ball Guide
First Edition, 1995, Chase, Daughtrey & Simone — ISBN: 1-883052-08-4. Another good disease guide. The photos are better in the other Ball guide.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Pests & Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials: The Biological Approach
First Edition, 1999, Gill, Clement & Dutky — ISBN: 1-883052-20-3. So many great books out there — this is no exception.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Ball Pest and Disease Manual
Second Edition, 1997, Powell & Lindquist — ISBN: 958-95951-0-3. A great pest and disease reference for flower and foliage crops. Used to be a first-read title.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Compendium of Flowering Potted Plant Diseases
First Edition, 1995, Daughtrey, Wick & Peterson — ISBN: 0-89054-202-3. Another good disease title. Specific to potted plants.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Compendium of Rose Diseases
First Edition, 1983, Horst — ISBN: 0-89054-052-7. Another good disease title. Specific to roses.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Foliage Plant Diseases
First Edition, 1997, Chase — ISBN: 0-89054-179-5. Another good disease title. Specific to foliage.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Tropical Foliage Disorders
First Edition, 2002, Griffith — ISBN: 1-883052-30-0. A guide to what's ailing your tropical plants.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Rodale's Pest & Disease Problem Solver
First Edition, 1996, Gilkeson, Pierce & Smith — ISBN: 0-87596-850-3. A decent guide, but was redundant. The Organic Gardener's Handbook covers it all.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Insect Identification
You can't manage what you can't identify. These ID guides range from professional reference works to laminated pocket cards for field use.
Photographic Atlas of Entomology & Guide to Insect Identification
First Edition, 2000, Castner — ISBN: 0-9625150-4-3. An exceptional identification guide. Basic to somewhat complex — it covers the field well.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Ball Identification Guide to Greenhouse Pests and Beneficials
First Edition, 1998, Gill & Sanderson — ISBN: 1-883052-17-3. A really good book. Valuable.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
The Bug Cards
First Edition, 2001, Hofer & Headrick — Item #B054. A small, handy but simplistic ID guide. Laminated, good for field use.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Rodale's Color Handbook of Garden Insects
First Edition, 1979, Carr — ISBN: 0-87857-250-3 or 0-87857-460-3. Basic, a beginner's guide to insect pests. Nice photos.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Beginner & Specialty Titles
Books for newcomers, plus a handful of niche references that fill specific gaps — pesticide use, aphid biology, landscape pests, and alternatives to conventional insecticides.
What's Eating Your House Plants?
First Edition, 1977, Jordan — ISBN: 0-87857-257-0. Basic. A beginner's guide to insect pests.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Bugs, Slugs, & Other Thugs
First Edition, 1991, Hart — ISBN: 0-88266-664-9. Basic. A beginner's guide to insect pests.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
The Gardener's Bug Book
First Edition, 1994, Pleasant — ISBN: 0-88266-609-6. Basic. A beginner's guide to insect pests.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Rodale's Controlling Pests & Diseases
First Edition, 1994, Michalak & Gilkeson — ISBN: 0-87596-612-8. A weak source of information, but with some of the best photos out there.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
A Guide to the Biological of Greenhouse Aphids
First Edition, 1981, Gilkeson & Klein — ISBN: unknown. Like the booklet above, this one's from days of old, but really worthwhile.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
The Pesticide Book
First Edition, 2000, Ware — ISBN: 0-913702-63-3. What's this book doing here? If you need info on pesticides …
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Alternatives to Insecticides for Managing Vegetable Insects
First Edition, 1998, Stoner — ISBN: 0-935817-49-2. Outside the mainstream? This book may be perfect for you.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Rodale's Landscape Problem Solver
First Edition, 1989, Ball & Ball — ISBN: 0-87857-802-1. A landscape-specific guide. Not a bad title.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
Grower Talks on Pest Control
First Edition, 2001, Blanchette — ISBN: 1-883052-26-2. "GrowerTalks," growers listen. Another fine Ball title. A full look.
Find: Open Library · Google Books
University of California Publications
UC's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources publishes some of the best regionally-focused biocontrol and IPM references available. Each links to UC ANR's official catalog by publication number.
Biological Control in the Western United States
University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources — Publication #3361. A UC title specific to Western states biocontrol and IPM.
Find: UC ANR Catalog · Open Library
Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, Second Edition
University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources — Publication #3332. A UC title specific to garden and small-farm biocontrol and IPM.
Find: UC ANR Catalog · Open Library
Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs
University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources — Publication #3359. A UC title specific to landscape biocontrol and IPM.
Find: UC ANR Catalog · Open Library
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