Barriers to successful biological control

Non-chemical pest management practices, such as biological or mechanical control, are becoming increasingly important following several state-level restrictions on some pesticide classes. Unfortunately, data-based protocols for the implementation of these approaches rarely exist or are often generalizations that may not be efficacious among different plants and pests. Evaluation of these tactics among such combinations and across varying pest densities would inform more reliable pest management recommendations. In our trials utilizing commercially available beneficial insects, we encountered a variation in product viability among different suppliers. The number of larvae upon arrival ranged from less than 10% to just over the total marketed quantity. Shipping and production practices vary among vendors, and this has significant implications for the successful deployment of these tools. The quality of biological control products must be consistent and sufficiently high to ensure effective pest management; however, our observations suggest that the deployment of some beneficial organisms could be ineffective if release rates were not modified based on the number of surviving insects in contrast to the marketed total. It’s possible that modifications to the mass production, packaging, or shipping of these products may help reduce concerns with quality following delivery. We hope to find ways to mitigate these challenges to continue developing effective alternative management tactics in residential landscapes.