Biological Control

Biological Control may be defined (in as few words as possible) as: The use of living natural enemies to control pests. In slightly more words, it has been defined as: The active manipulation of antagonistic organisms to reduce pest population densities, either animal or plant, to non economically important levels.

Both definitions imply that biological control is an action taken by people using what are called "natural enemies" or "antagonistic organisms." These may be predators, parasites, parasitoids, pathogens, or competitors of the pest that is to be controlled. (John H. Frank, Types of Biological Control)

• Area wide Fire Ant Suppression - USDA
• Arthropod Mass Rearing and Quality Control - AMRQC
• Biological Control, A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America - Cornell University
• Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States
• Biological Control of Plant Pathogens - APS
• Biological control of Tropical Soda Apple - preview manual, lesson plans, online coursework and YouTube videos from TAME IFAS
• Biopesticides and Biorationals
• Commercial Sources of Insect Parasitic Nematodes
• Compatibility of Chemicals with Natural Enemies
• Crape Myrtle, Beauty and Biological Control (Mizell) - UF/IFAS
• Ecological Database of the World’s Insect Pathogens
• Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control - ATTRA
• Glossaries: IPM and Biological Control
• Good Bugs - Sarasota County Extension, Mike Holsinger
• Importation and Release of Non-Indigenous Biological Control Agents
• New APHIS Permit Regulations (430KB PDF)
• Purchasing and Using Commercial Natural Enemies - N.C. Leppla and K. Johnson
• Sources of Beneficial Organisms
• Types of Biological Control
• Using Banker Plants - Lance Osborne
• Using Natural Enemies to Manage Pests - C.A. Boyles and P. G. Koehler (682KB pdf)

• Application Methods Page
• Applying IPM Page