Biological pest control


What do we mean by pest?


A pest is defined as any living organism or group of organisms (insects, fungi, viruses, bacteria, mammals, etc.) that can cause damage to plants, trees, crops, etc., and has an impact (mainly economic) on humans. Naturally, all natural ecosystems maintain a balance, primarily sustained by two main groups: predators and prey. Predators stabilize a population if it grows too large. However, when humans interfere with the fragile balance of these ecosystems, reducing the number of predators or even causing some species to disappear, the balance is disrupted in favor of the prey due to the diminished or absent predators, and this is how pests emerge.

 


What is biological pest control?


The paradigm shift in agriculture.

 

Agricultural production models developed over the last decades have been mainly based on the practice of monoculture. Monoculture allows for greater profits and minimizes the amount of tools and machinery needed, but in return, it is associated with certain specific problems such as soil impoverishment, due to the overuse of the same nutrients, contamination of the land and groundwater by the abusive use of phytosanitary products and pesticides, and greater exposure to pests and diseases, which are more difficult to combat due to the loss of biodiversity.

 



As an alternative to industrialized conventional agriculture, agricultural models based mainly on respect for the environment and obtaining healthier food have been developed. One such system is organic farming, which advocates the adoption of the following measures to prevent pests and diseases in crops:

  • Selection of resistant species: choose plant varieties that adapt well to the environment where they will be grown, as they will grow stronger and more resistant.
  • Improve cultivation systems: it is more beneficial to reduce pests and diseases by using mixed cropping systems, rotating crops, and using green manure.
  • Provide organic matter: introduce microorganisms into the soil, which promote aeration and make nutrients available to plants.
  • Maintain natural enemies of pests: they exert biological control over pathogens.
  • Plan a cultivation calendar and adequate densities: can reduce the incidence of pests.

 


Even if we correctly apply pest and disease prevention measures in organic farming, they may not be sufficient to prevent the development of these problems in crop and plant health. When these problems do develop, measures must be aimed at eliminating them, which can be done through biological pest control. There are different methods within biological control, such as the use of bacteria, fungi, and the manufacture of natural pesticides. But what concerns us here and what we are going to talk about is biological pest control using natural predators.


 

The role of beneficial fauna in biological pest control.

 

The role of insectivorous birds, birds of prey, bats, and some insects in pest control is still quite unknown, but above all, it has been underestimated by farmers, even though it is very effective in the functioning of natural ecosystems. If we study the diet of birds and bats a little, we will realize their importance in controlling natural enemies of crops. For example, tits and chickadees feed on certain insects, such as:

  • Those that appear in fruit tree crops, such as the caterpillars of the Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella); the Oriental Fruit Moth (Grapolita molesta); the Peach Twig Borer (Anarsia lineatella), one of the most important pests in stone fruits, whose larvae cause damage to terminal shoots and fruit; the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata); aphids, such as the woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum) and many more.
  • Those that appear in pine forests, the Processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pitiocampa).
  • Etc.

 

Other bird species to consider in ecological pest control are:

  • Small nocturnal and diurnal birds of prey: such as the kestrel, the little owl, or the barn owl, which feed on rodents and insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, mice, and moles.
  • Swallows: feed on flying insects, such as diptera (flies and mosquitoes), butterflies, aphids, etc.
  • The hoopoe: feeds on orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts, crickets), coleoptera (beetles, ladybugs), earthworms, etc.
  • Bats: feed on a large number of nocturnal insects and have crepuscular activity that coincides with the peak nocturnal activity of flying moths. They also feed on harmful moths, such as the Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella), the Oriental Fruit Moth (Grapholita molesta), the Peach Twig Borer (Anarsia lineatella), and the Grapevine Moth (Lobesia botrana). A single bat can eat between 2000 and 3000 insects in one night.

There are some insects that also have a predatory function, such as the ladybug larva or the lacewing, great predators of aphids, among others.


 

Why use nest boxes to control pests?



Nest boxes are artificial shelters created for birds or bats to nest inside when there are not enough natural cavities in the environment. In order to increase the population of natural predators to control pests and re-establish the natural balance, nest boxes can be placed around crops precisely so that these birds and/or bats have suitable cavities to nest in.

For all species that can help us in pest control, there is a specific nest box, which allows recreating the habitat and reproduction conditions required by the species we want to favor.

Thus, we find nest boxes for:

 

If you are interested in installing our nest boxes in your crops as a pest control method, we offer our advice and a no-obligation quote.

 

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