Biorationale Pest Control

Question 1

What is biological control?

Answer 1

Use of predators and parasitoids
Pests become tropic resources
Argued that 99% of potential pests are kept in check by natural enemies

Question 2

What is the aim of bio control?

Answer 2

To restore or enhance the relationship between pest and natural enemies

Question 3

What Is the collective term for insect eaters and how do parasitoids and predators differ?

Answer 3

Entomophages
Predators consume prey rapidly I.e. Ladybirds, spiders, lacewings
Parasitoids consume prey slowly and develop as juveniles within a host

Question 4

What is augmentation and inoculation?

Answer 4

Augmentation - predators are present but there is not enough
Inoculation - no predators are present (perhaps because of insecticides)
Aim is to suppress pest numbers until harvest
Not long term
Expensive

Question 5

What is habitat manipulation?

Answer 5

Where there is no rearing or real ease of predators but instead habitats are designed to bring predators to the area

Question 6

What are the three methods of biological control?

Answer 6

Classical biological control - permanent, involves rearing
Augmentation/inoculation - temporary, involves rearing
Habitat manipulation - permanent, no rearing

Question 7

What is classical biological control?

Answer 7

Dates back at least 2000 years
Basic idea is to find enemies in a country where the target species is it a pest
The more predators released the more successful the introductions

Question 8

2 examples of classical biological control?

Answer 8

Cottony cushion scale controlled by beetles and flies

Cassava mealy bug controlled by parasitoids and mites

Question 9

Examples of augmentation/inoculation?

Answer 9

Encarsia for control of white fly
Trichogramma in cotton pests
Predatory mites

Question 10

General comments about habitat manipulation?

Answer 10

No mass rearing and release of biocontrol agents
Aim is to make habitat biocontrol friendly
Done by minimising pesticide use, creating predator friendly food sources and overwintering habitats

Question 11

Disadvantages to biological control?

Answer 11

Relies on government funding
Not eradicative
May work slowly
May be complicated
May be issues with variable efficacy

Question 12

What are the four methods of biorationale pest control?

Answer 12

Biological control
Microbial pest control
Pheromones
Insect growth regulators