Knowra Biological pest control Biological pest control Biological pest control manages pests by using living organisms, including predators, parasitoids, pathogens, and competitors, to reduce pest populations or damage.
Predation : An interaction in which one organism captures and consumes another. Predators such as lady beetles reduce pest numbers by consuming them.
Classical biological control : The introduction of a pest’s natural enemy from its native range to establish long-term control in a new region. This approach targets introduced pests with carefully selected coevolved enemies.
Natural enemy : An organism that attacks, infects, consumes, or otherwise suppresses another organism. Predators, parasitoids, and pathogens are the principal enemy types used against pests.
Chemical pest control : The use of chemical substances to prevent, repel, or kill pests. Chemical controls may act quickly but can harm non-target organisms or select for resistance.
Parasitism : An interaction in which one organism lives on or in a host and gains resources at its expense. Parasitoids develop in or on individual pests, usually killing them.
Augmentative biological control : The mass release of beneficial organisms to increase their immediate impact on pests. Commercially reared natural enemies can be released when pest pressure rises.
Parasitoid : An insect whose immature stage develops on or inside a single host and ultimately kills it. Many biological-control programs rely on parasitoid wasps that attack specific pests.
Mechanical pest control : The physical removal, exclusion, or destruction of pests using devices or barriers. Mechanical methods suppress pests directly rather than relying on living control agents.
Entomopathogenic fungi : Fungi that infect and cause disease in insects and other arthropods. These pathogens can infect pests through contact with treated surfaces.
Conservation biological control : The modification of habitats and practices to protect and support organisms that suppress pests. Field margins and reduced pesticide use can help resident enemies persist.
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