Biological Pest Control

Biological pest control, or biocontrol, is a method of controlling pests, whether insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants, by using other organisms rather than synthetic chemicals, relying on predation, parasitism, herbivory or other natural mechanisms alongside an active human management role, and it can be an important component of a broader integrated pest management program. There are three basic strategies: classical, or importation, in which a natural enemy of a pest is introduced in hopes of achieving control; augmentation, in which a large population of natural enemies is released for quick effect; and conservation, in which existing natural enemies are maintained through regular reestablishment. Agents used against insects include predators, parasitoids, pathogens and competitors, while agents used against weeds include seed predators, herbivores and plant pathogens, and the practice can carry side effects for biodiversity when an introduced species attacks non-target organisms without a thorough understanding of the likely consequences.