Biological Pest Control

When we think of pest control, generally some kind of chemical poison comes to mind. While that's the most common and universally used type of control, there are biological pest control options available.

Biological pest control is a method that gives your the ability to control pests and diseases with natural predation rather than chemicals. Many organic gardeners believe in biodiversity to further health. A landscape is more sustainable with the more variety of plants growing in it. Therefore, an organic gardener works to develop a biological pest control system that keeps the insects at a manageable level with a complex system rather than eradicating them.

Biological pest control is a holistic approach that works to develop an understanding of the interaction between the myriads of organisms that make up garden fauna and flora rather than the conventional gardening practices that rely on chemical methods. An organic gardener who is using biological pest control will often consider the eradication of pests impossible and undesirable, since without the insects the beneficial parasites won't be able to survive.

Become familiar with the life forms that are found in your garden such as predators and pests. Learn their life cycles, feeding patterns and the habitats that the insects prefer. Knowing this information will help you to determine which insects to focus your biological pest control on and which ones will be taken care of naturally.

Types Of Insects

One main predator of aphids is ladybugs which are active between May and July. They will happily feast on mites, scale insects, whiteflies and small caterpillars. Another welcome predator in your garden are the hoverflies which look like slightly darker bees or wasps. They feed primarily on the greenfly as well as the fruit tree spider mites and small caterpillars. Their egg production relies on adults eating nectar and pollen. Hoverflies can also encourage the growth of attractant flowers during the growing season such as poached egg plant, marigolds and phacelia.

Dragonflies are not only so beautiful to watch but their eating habits are very welcome. They love mosquitoes and will which attack them both in the air and in the water. Unfortunately, mosquito control programs that spray chemicals will often also kill dragonflies. Relying poisons to control mosquitoes can in the long run actually increase their population by killing off their natural predators.

Bats also a very friendly animal to encourage in your garden. They are voracious insect eaters with a particular taste for mosquitoes and other nocturnal insects. Building bat houses for them to sleep in during the day encourages them to take up residence in your yard. Another nice side effect is the 'guano' or manure droppings that makes wonderful fertilizer for your plants.

There are also larger animals which play an important role in keeping down pests. Cats focus on keeping the rat, mice and bird populations down as well as dogs which chase away pests such as gophers and rabbits that burrow underground and cause problems in the garden. Hawks and owls also are our friends. They are excellent at catching rodents and rabbits that can reproduce very rapidly. They are all a part of the circle of life Mother Nature designed.

Learning to rely more on natural biological pest control and less on chemicals is a strategy that is ecologically sound and earth friendly. Learn to accept a few blemishes on your fruits and vegetables - it's natural.