Labor Day weekend may be viewed by some as the end of summer, but farmers know that the summer growing (and harvesting!) season is far from over. Similarly, the field projects I’m involved with this summer (read more here and here) are still running. Over the fall and winter I’ll be analyzing data and sharing … Continue reading A summer of biocontrol…in pictures
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 … Continue reading Announcement – Free pollinator course for growers!
At this time of year, glossy catalogs start arriving in my mailbox full of pictures of all the beautiful fruits, vegetables, and flowers that I could grow after the snow melts. What these pictures don’t usually show are the arthropod (insect, mite, and related species) pests that can’t wait to eat what I plant. There … Continue reading If you plant it, they will come: Attracting natural enemies of pests
Definitions of biological control (biocontrol, for short) vary, but biocontrol could be broadly defined as: using beneficial organisms to reduce populations of pest organisms, or to maintain them at sufficiently low levels. The beneficial organism is often called a natural enemy of the pest, or a biocontrol agent. Either the pest or beneficial organism might … Continue reading What is biocontrol?