Biological control of pests

Biological control of pests

El biological pest control It is an increasingly used weapon as concern for the environment and for implementing agricultural production systems that are more respectful of the ecosystem grows. Although it is not only about the countryside and crops, it is also possible to resort to biological methods to treat pests in livestock and other sectors and even in homes and public and private spaces of all kinds. 

Do you want to know everything about how biological pest control works and what is its effectiveness? We explain it to you in detail in this article. 

What is biological pest control?

Traditionally, when a pest has had to be dealt with, the use of chemicals has been used to do so. Currently, however, there is a strong commitment to other systems such as use of living organisms that help reduce or even eliminate the pest in question.

Biological control of pests

These living organisms are usually enemies that nature itself has created and that, without harming nature, attack other organisms. We could consider them as organisms that are incompatible with each other, that are harmful to each other, natural predators. And it is precisely this quality that we use in our favor to eliminate the enemy or plague that affects us.

What annoys some, benefits others. It is the case of mushrooms, bacteria, insects and to Facilities that can be used as anti-pests, because they have the power to destroy or attack their enemies which, in this case, will also be ours: the various pests that attack our crops, if we are talking about gardening. 

How biological pest control works

We have already given you the answer in the same section where we have explained what is biological control, because it consists simply of that: in the interactions that occur between living organisms that are incompatible with each other and the strongest will win, which, in this case, will be the one we choose to carry out our control. 

These beings have the capacity to live and reproduce in the environment in which the enemy is located, so that they will quickly end up invading space and ending the plague. It will possibly be replacing one pest with another but with the proviso that the organism we introduce is beneficial for our purposes.

Once this species stabilizes, it prevents enemy pests or target pests from proliferating. 

But be careful because there are several types of biological pest control. We show them to you in the next section.

How many types of biological pest control are there?

Biological control of pests

We can basically distinguish two types of biological pest control: the classic and the conservation one. Let's see the differences between one and the other.

Classic biological control to eliminate pests

We assume that we are being attacked by a pest, in our crop, for example. The next step will be introduce a species that is exotic to this environment and can develop quickly. This new species will manage to put an end to the pest that bothers us. A good example of this is when we have an alfalfa crop and we see that it is being attacked by aphids. A good biological control remedy would be to introduce a foreign species such as specimens of the coccinellid beetle.

Conservation biological control to prevent pests

Once we have achieved overcome a plagueWhat interests us is maintaining order and preventing unwanted invasions from occurring again. It is achieved by maintaining the environment with the presence of species that are natural enemies of possible attackers. To do this, the method consists of encourage these control species to come to us, which we can achieve if we plant plants that attract beneficial insects and respecting their presence. For example, ladybugs are excellent pest control against aphids, mealybugs, and mites. Planting aromatic plants will help us attract and keep ladybugs in our orchard or garden. 

What type of organisms are usually used in biological pest control?

When using the biological pest control We can resort to three types of organisms: parasitoids, predators and pathogens. Let's stop at each of them. 

Biological control of pests

Parasitoid organisms to control pests

The parasitoid organisms They lay their eggs on the organisms that are constituting the pest and when the larvae hatch, they eat it. Good examples of these organisms are wasps and flies. 

Pathogenic organisms for pest control

The pathogenic organisms They are viruses, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms that are responsible for causing diseases in pests. They mainly attack the organism that has become a pest and that harms our crops or gardens, but does not harm the environment.

Introduction of predatory organisms

Another way to eliminate pests in an ecological way is to introduce species that are responsible for hunting, killing and, in some cases, feeding on the pest element. For example, ladybugs, as we explained before, spiders or birds. 

Is biological pest control effective?

The question we have to ask ourselves is whether, at the end of it all, biological pest control is really effective. The answer is that it has a certain degree of effectiveness, although it does not work in all cases but, in any case, it is a good method because it is safe and does not contaminate, unlike control with chemical products that can put health at risk. of the planet and that of the beings that inhabit it.

Among the cons of this alternative method is its cost, because sometimes the process can be expensive, slow and limited in scope, which means that there are people who still prefer to continue with other traditional methods when faced with an infestation.

It will be necessary to look at each case in particular to check whether, in the face of a certain pest, in a certain place, it is viable to use one or another control, as well as to opt for one or another type of organism. biological pest control. What do you think? Have you experimented with ecological pest control? 


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