Category Archives: Announcements

Announcements, website

Now available at the NYSIPM Biocontrol Website: Biocontrol Agent Profiles

From time to time I write a short post to let you know about the availability of new biocontrol resources. For example, a database to learn about insect classical biocontrol agents, spreadsheets summarizing biopesticide efficacy data, or biopesticide profiles. Today I’m excited to share with you the next phase of the Biocontrol section of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program website (managed by yours truly) – biocontrol agent profiles!

First, a little history

Close to thirty years ago, Dr. Tony Shelton (now Professor Emeritus, Department of Entomology, Cornell University) launched a website called Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America. It included great information about the biology of biocontrol, individual articles about species or groups of biocontrol agents, and much more. As Dr. Shelton approached retirement, he reached out to me and NYSIPM and we agreed to take over managing and updating the site. Since then, I’ve been working on migrating content, updating it as I go.

What we’d done already

I started by moving over some basic content about the biology behind biocontrol. You can read about the differences among classical, conservation, and augmentative biocontrol. And you can learn about the different types of organisms that help control pests (and therefore act as biocontrol agents): predators and parasitoids, weed-feeders, insect-killing nematodes, and biopesticides. I’ve also created many resources to help people use biocontrol. This section of the website includes information about recognizing insect natural enemies of pests, creating habitat that feeds and shelters insect natural enemies and pollinators, spreadsheets summarizing the efficacy of biopesticides against different pests in different crops, and a (slowly) growing collection of biopesticide profiles to help growers use these products more effectively.

So, what’s new? 42 biocontrol agent profiles!

Close-up of a black and orange beetle eating a smaller insect behind the words “Biocontrol Agents – Organisms that do biocontrol”
Biocontrol agents are organisms that do biocontrol (control pests). Profiles of 42 biocontrol agents are now available on NYSIPM’s website.

As I planned the migration of the articles about individual biocontrol agents from Dr. Shelton’s website, I knew that I wanted to make it easy for readers to quickly find answers to common questions (Does it work? What pests are targeted?), break up the text into smaller sections, and retain the valuable (and more technical) information that made Dr. Shelton’s website valuable to scientists, too. I am incredibly grateful to all the authors who revised or wrote brand new content that fulfills these goals. The first 42 biocontrol agent profiles are now up on the website! Currently, you can browse them based on either the type of pest they target (insects or weeds, for now), or you can browse by the type of biocontrol agent. We’re still working on ways to expand how you can search for biocontrol agents of interest.

Under the heading ‘sulfur knapweed moth’ is a picture of a yellow and brown moth against a blue background. To the right is a box describing which pests are targeted, whether the biocontrol agent is commercially available, its scientific name, and what type of biocontrol agent it is.
Each new biocontrol agent profile has updated pictures and summarizes information in smaller blocks of text.

I’m excited about:

  • New and more pictures
  • Compatibility with mobile devices and more accessible
  • Organized to provide straightforward answers to frequently asked questions
  • Consistent format so you can look for the same information in the same part of each profile

So, check them out and let me know what you think! There are still many more articles to revise and migrate, and new biocontrol agents to add. If you are someone with expertise in a biocontrol agent and would like to revise or write one of these profiles, please get in touch with me!

 

This post was written by Amara Dunn-Silver, Biocontrol Specialist with the NYSIPM Program.

 

This work is supported by NYS Departments of Environmental Conservation and Agriculture and Markets. It was also funded in part by the Northeastern IPM Center through Grant #2018-70006-28882 from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection and Pest Management, Regional Coordination Program.

Logo for the Northeastern IPM Center

 

Logo for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Announcements, habitat at home

NYSIPM co-hosts Geneva Grows Native Event August 3, 10, 17, & 24, 2024

White daisies, yellow coreopsis, blue cornflowers, as well as pink and red flowers growing in a bed along a street
One of many flower beds full of native plants in downtown Geneva, NY

For years, the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM) has been demonstrating how to create habitat for pollinators and insect natural enemies of pests by growing (especially native and perennial) flowers and grasses that feed and shelter these important insects. You may have attended a past Beneficial Insect Habitat Open House at our research field. This year, we’re bringing the conservation biocontrol information and demonstrations to the Geneva lakefront and partnering with the Geneva Business Improvement District, the City of Geneva Green Committee, and other community members to talk about the ways the City of Geneva is using native plants.

 

Clusters of red flowers with yellow centers on plants with feathery leaves (yarrow) growing next to a sidewalk with Seneca Lake in the background
Native plants provide many ecological benefits and make the shores of Seneca Lake even more beautiful.

Native plants are a key component of the green infrastructure the City of Geneva, NY has installed throughout downtown. In addition, numerous volunteers have dedicated countless hours to planting and maintaining native plants along Seneca Lake. The goal is to support native insects, wildlife, and the rest of the ecosystem, reduce water and maintenance needs, increase the ecological resilience of the City, and protect beautiful Seneca Lake.

You have four opportunities to attend this event. Stop by the Geneva Lakefront Gazebo near the Geneva Farmers Market between 8 AM and 1 PM on any of these Saturdays in August:

  • August 3
  • August 10
  • August 17
  • August 24

 

A bumble bee rests under a yellow and red blanketflower. A neighborhood street is in the background.
Just a small spot in your yard can provide beautiful blooms that feed and shelter pollinators and insect natural enemies of pests.

What you can expect:

  • Walking tours of Geneva’s native plantings
  • Ontario County 4-H members showcasing native ‘habitatscaping’ opportunities for families (Aug 17)
  • Practical resources from Cornell and others
  • Great information from local organizations like BluePrint Geneva and community members who have been caring for these plantings
  • Free seeds to help you grow your own native plants

 

Read all the details about this fun event for the whole family, and hope to see you there!

Image of a blackeyed susan flower with a bee on it and text that says 'Geneva Grows Native Join Geneva's native plant and insect journey! Activities for the whole family! Walking tours native plants, Scavenger hunt for beneficial insects, Seed giveaways, Learn to attract beneficial insects to your own yard. August 3, 10, 17, 24, 8 AM - 1 PM Geneva Lakefront Gazebo. New York State Integrated Pest Management Cornell AgriTech New York State Agricultural Experiment Station Geneva Business Improvement District.' There's also a QR code to a website to learn more.
Come join us and bring a friend!

 

This post was written by Amara Dunn-Silver, Biocontrol Specialist and Elizabeth Lamb, Ornamentals IPM Coordinator with the NYSIPM Program.

 

This work is supported by NYS Departments of Environmental Conservation and Agriculture and Markets and a grant from On the Canals.

Announcements

Harvesting and sowing your own native seeds – August 17, 2023

Pink echinacea and bright yellow goldenrod flowers
Echinacea and goldenrod are just two species of native perennial wildflowers that feed beneficial insects.

For the past six years, we’ve been cultivating perennial grasses and wildflowers that feed and support beneficial insects. All of these plants came from seeds—whether sown by us or by others—and we’ll focus this year’s annual open house on these wonderful seeds.

Come join folks from New York State Integrated Pest Management, and Petra Page-Mann from Fruition Seeds to talk about how we harvest, clean, store, and germinate seeds of perennial wildflowers that support beneficial insects. Stop by our open house between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m on Thursday, August 17. We’ll offer guided explorations of our established plots of perennial wildflowers and grasses at 3:45, 4:45, and 5:45 p.m. You are also welcome to explore the field on your own, or browse our interactive resources on display. There will be a few hard copies of resources available at the event, and we’ll continue to add digital resources to this folder up to and following the event. Everyone will go home with seeds of native perennial plants that support beneficial insects.

No registration needed for this free event. Find all the details at our event page. When you arrive at the entrance to the farm, look for signs with the pink echinacea flower and the Christmas tree on them, and follow the signs to our field.

Graphic of pink echinacea flower, Christmas tree, and the NYSIPM logo
Follow these signs to find our field!

Funds for this project were provided by NYS Dept of Ag and Markets and the USDA National Institute of Food and Ag.

Announcements, Christmas tree establishment IPM, habitat plots

Some great biocontrol events coming up!

Next week is full of great biocontrol events! If you are in the Geneva, NY area, don’t miss out!

Thursday August 11 5:30-7:30 PM

wildflowers growing in a field in the foreground, people standing and talking in the background
Participants enjoying last year’s Habitat for Beneficial Insects Open House.

We are in our 5th year of establishing perennial wildflowers and grasses to support pollinators and natural enemies of pests. Perhaps you’ve been following our progress (although admittedly I owe you all an update post or two). Or maybe you keep up with pictures on my Instagram. Now you can see these plots for yourself at our Habitat for Beneficial Insects Open House!

Come visit us any time between 5:30 and 7:30 PM. This outdoor event is free and no registration is required. Just put this address into your GPS:

1097 County Rd. 4
Geneva, NY 14456

Then look for these signs:

New York State IPM logo next to diagrams of a pink echinacea flower and a green Christmas tree

Funds for this project were provided by NYS Dept of Ag and Markets, the Towards Sustainability Foundation, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Ag.

 

Friday August 12, 5-7:30 PM

Researcher points to labeled rows of Christmas trees growing in a field, while meeting attendees watch
Bryan Brown talking about integrated weed management at last year’s event.

As part of a larger Christmas tree IPM project, we’re looking at using biopesticides applied to Christmas tree roots at planting to protect the young trees from root diseases (especially Phytophthora). We’re having a Field Day so that you can see both acres of Christmas trees we’ve planted and learn about early results from the project.

Please do register for this event using the “Field Day” link above!

Like the Habitat for Beneficial Insect Open House, put this address into your GPS:

1097 County Rd. 4
Geneva, NY 14456

Then look for these signs:

New York State IPM logo next to diagrams of a pink echinacea flower and a green Christmas tree

This work is supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Foundational and Applied Science Grant no. 2021-68008-34179/project accession no. 1025660  from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

 

Saturday August 13, 10 AM – 3 PM

raised bed with wildflowers growing in it
This year we planted two new raised beds with perennials that support beneficial insects.

NYS IPM will be at Cornell AgriTech’s 140th Anniversary Open House talking about how to “feed your insect friends”…by creating excellent habitat for them, of course! This spring we planted two raised beds with a mixture of perennials selected to provide pollen and nectar from spring through fall. Come see how these new plantings are growing, learn more about beneficial insects and how to create your own habitat, and pick up some (temporary) tattoos of pest natural enemies! Then visit the rest of the educational displays at Cornell AgriTech.

Funding for our displays at this event is being provided by Cornell AgriTech and NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation.

Announcements

Include biocontrol in your 2022 garden plans

Graphic of flowering plants and beneficial insects with the words Biological Control: Partners in the Garden March 15 and 16, 2022
Join us for this virtual conference!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get some seeds into potting mix and some plans for my garden on paper! While you’re planning your garden, why not join NYS IPM for our virtual conference? This year we’re talking about “Biological Control: Partners in the Garden” and we’ve got a great line up of speakers!

  • Carol Glenister form IPM Labs talks about looking for signs that natural enemies (biocontrol agents) are already at work in your garden
  • John Losey from Cornell University talks about everyone’s favorite biocontrol agent – ladybugs
  • NYS IPM staff will talk about biocontrol for weeds (is there any?), conserving our biocontrol partners in the garden, and more!
  • Mary Centrella from the Cornell Pesticide Safety Education Program will talk about proper use of pesticides to protect garden partners
  • Kyle Wickings will talk about using tiny worms (entomopathogenic nematodes) to deal with lawn grubs

The conference will take place the mornings of Tuesday and Wednesday March 15 and 16, with a special interactive workshop being offered (by yours truly) on Tuesday afternoon (1-3 PM). You’ll receive some pre-workshop materials to help you get the most out of the workshop, and leave with a plan to plant flowers that will feed and support natural enemies in your garden.

The conference is just a little more than a week away, so register soon! Pay what you can afford, and please reach out if the registration fee is a barrier. NYS IPM is committed to making this conference (and all of our resources) accessible.

This post was written by Amara Dunn, Biocontrol Specialist with the NYSIPM program.

Announcements, habitat plots, pollinators

Come learn about creating habitat for beneficial insects!

panoramic view of a plot of perennial wildflowers and grasses on a sunny day

It’s hard to believe it, but we are in our fourth year of a project establishing perennial wildflowers and grasses to support populations of pollinators and natural enemies of pests. You can read more about this ongoing project in past blog posts, but in just a few weeks, you can also come visit these plots in person (if you live near Geneva, NY)!

Our Habitat for Beneficial Insects Open House is taking place on Thursday, August 19, 2021. We’re inviting members of the public, home gardeners, and beneficial insect enthusiasts to stop in between 1:30 and 3:30 PM to:

  • see how the wildflower plots are looking
  • learn about the methods we’ve used to establish them
  • practice recognizing some of the beneficial insects we’ve attracted

In order to offer an experience that is accessible and as safe as possible for all attendees, we are requesting that everyone wear a mask unless you maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and people you do not live with, regardless of your COVID vaccination status. There will be plenty of space at the field to spread out, and we will have microphones available so that you will still be able to hear even if you are standing further from a speaker than usual. We will have masks available if you do not have one. (But if you have a favorite insect or wildflower themed mask, we want to see them!) These recommendations follow Cornell’s current guidance and if that guidance changes, we will let you know.

To get there, put this address into your GPS:
1097 County Rd. 4
Geneva, NY 14456

Then look for these signs to find our field and park:

New York State IPM logo next to diagrams of a pink echinacea flower and a green Christmas tree

You can email Amara Dunn with questions.

This event is supported by:

  • New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • Crop Protection and Pest Management -Extension Implementation Program Area grant no. 2017-70006-27142/project accession no. 1014000, from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
  • The Towards Sustainability Foundation
agriculture, Announcements, habitat plots, home gardens, IPM, ornamentals, pollinators

Come visit our beneficial insect habitat plots!

In the foreground you can see a small Christmas tree. In the background, you can see a patch of mixed wildflowers. Behind it are trees, and partly cloudy sky, and a pond.

You’ve read about all the different methods we are testing for establishing native wildflowers and grasses as habitat for pollinators and natural enemies of pests. You know we learned a lot in our first season. You know we’ve been using several different techniques to collect insects in these plots. And you saw a pictorial summary of our sampling and some of the insects we’ve caught in Summer 2019.

Wouldn’t you like to come see these plots in person, hear about our preliminary results, and learn more about attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects to your farm or yard?

If you live reasonably close to Geneva, NY, you can! We are having two field events this fall:

On Wednesday, September 25, 2019, stop by our field between 3:30 and 6:30 PM for an Open House. There will be no program, just stop by and talk with Betsy Lamb, Brian Eshenaur, and I. All the details can be found here, including the address and a map to help you find our field.

On Thursday, September 26, 2019, we have a Twilight Field Day from 5 to 7 PM. This meeting has been planned with growers in mind (especially Christmas tree and nursery growers). DEC credits (1.5) will be available for categories 1a, 3a, 24, 25, and 10, and dinner is included. The cost for this meeting is $15, and we need you to register so we know how much food to provide. All the details (including the registration link) can be found here.

If you’re coming to either of these events, we’ll have lots of signs up to help you find our field. Look for the following image:

illustration of a pink daisy-shaped flower with orange center and a Christmas tree, next to the logo for New York State Integrated Pest Management

This work is supported by:

  • Crop Protection and Pest Management -Extension Implementation Program Area grant no. 2017-70006-27142/project accession no. 1014000, from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
  • New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • Towards Sustainability Foundation
agriculture, Announcements, Community IPM, home gardens, IPM, ornamentals

Have you been meaning to learn more about spotted lanternfly? Here’s your chance!

This isn’t biocontrol, but it’s very important! Have you heard about the invasive spotted lanternfly? Do you want to learn where we are in our efforts to keep it out of New York, and to manage it if (and when) it does show up?

New York State Integrated Pest Management is hosting a meeting in Binghamton, NY on Thursday August 15 where you can get answers to these questions.

This conference has been approved for 7.5 Certified Nursery Landscape Professional credits, and 6 NYS Pesticide Recertification credits in the categories of 1a, 2, 3a, 6a, 9, 10, 22 and 25.

Details:
August 15, 2019
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Broome County Regional Farmers Market
840 Upper Front St., Binghamton NY

Register online.

Get more information here about speakers and registration costs.

5th Annual New York State Integrated Pest Management Conference Spotted Lanternfly: At our doorstep or already in our fields? It's not if but when and where this invasive pest will show up in NYS. Be on the front line of stopping the invasion! Learn where to look and how to correctly identify and report sightings of all spotted lanternfly life stages. Spotted lanternfly is a concern to: growers; foresters; nursery, greenhouse, and Christmas tree operations, landscapers, Master Gardeners and all NYS residents. In fact, anyone whose business or travel takes them through quarantine zones should understand New York State's regulations. Experts from across PA and NY will provide updates on what is b doen to prevent SLF's establishment in New York and tools available to combat this threat to our fields, forests and homes.

agriculture, Announcements, IPM, ornamentals, pollinators, vegetables

A new resource to help you protect pollinators

honey bee is perched on top of a young developing squash with the flower still attached
Many crops (and plenty of non-crop plants) rely on pollinators. Let’s protect them!

As I’ve discussed before, the natural enemies that provide biological control of pests include both larger creatures (like insects, mites, and nematodes) and microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, and viruses) that combat pests in a variety of ways. Microorganism natural enemies are regulated as pesticides (one type of biopesticide), while the larger natural enemies are not. Growers who are successfully using biocontrol insects, mites, and nematodes usually recognize that they need to apply pesticides in such a way that they are compatible with the biocontrol organisms they use. Take a look at my April post for a summary of online resources that can help you check compatibility of pesticides (including biopesticides) with natural enemies.

Some of these compatibility resources include information on the effects of pesticides (and biopesticides) on bees. Pollinators (including honey bees, lots of other bees, and some non-bees) are very important beneficial insects. You may have noticed that they have found their way into several of my blog posts. So, I wanted to let you know about a brand new resource (hot off the digital presses) to help you protect pollinators.

Image of the cover of the resouces entitled: Pesticide decision-making guide to protect pollinators in tree fruit orchards
“A Pesticide Decision-Making Guide to Protect Pollinators in Tree Fruit Orchards” is a terrific resource to help you choose pesticides (and pesticide combinations) that are least-toxic to bees.

“A Pesticide Decision-Making Guide to Protect Pollinators in Tree Fruit Orchards” was written by Maria van Dyke, Emma Mullen, Dan Wixted, and Scott McArt. Although it’s focus is tree fruit orchards (and therefore the pesticides used in them), it should be useful for growers of other crops who want to choose pesticides that are least toxic to bees. A few highlights:

  • It includes information not only on pesticides used alone, but (when available) on synergistic effects when multiple pesticide active ingredients are used together. When you combine some chemicals (either in the tank or in the environment) the mixture is more toxic than both chemicals alone.
  • Where available, it summarizes pesticide toxicity to other bees besides just honey bees (e.g., bumble bees and solitary bees). You can read more about why this is important in this recent article.
  • It describes what we know about sub-lethal (in other words, negative effects on the bees that are less serious than death) effects of pesticides on bees.
  • It includes about half a dozen biopesticide active ingredients.
bumble bee feeding on a purple flower
Pollination is being done by more than just honey bees! This bumble bee (plus many more bee species) are important pollinators in NY.

Guides for other crops and other resources for growers wanting to protect pollinators can be found here.

You might be asking: If a chemical on this table is toxic to bees, will it also be toxic to the insect and mite natural enemies I am releasing or conserving on my farm or in my garden? I wish I had a definitive answer to that. As you can see from the nearly three pages of Literature Cited at the end of this document, collecting these data is a time-consuming process. For now, stick with the compatibility resources that are already available, and ask the companies you buy from (pesticides or natural enemies) about compatibility.

In closing, a huge amount of work went into this resource to summarize so much useful and current (as of October 2018) information in an easy-to-read table. Bravo to the authors! The Pollinator Network @ Cornell has other helpful resources for growers on protecting pollinators. Winter is a great time to make plans for using IPM and protecting the pollinators and natural enemies that are so good for the crops we grow!

Announcements

Announcement – Free pollinator course for growers!

The Xerces Society is offering a free course on pollinator conservation to be held on November 7th in Basom, NY.

The information will be most relevant to farmers and agriculture professionals, and priority for registration will be given to these audiences. Others who are interested in attending may join a waiting list and will be notified if additional space is available.

Remember, habitat for pollinators can also be habitat for natural enemies of pests!