Natural Warfare

            In recent years, we have become aware of the dangers of pesticide use to us and the environment, and we recognize a need for a change. Pesticides aren't sustainable, with more and more countries imposing strict regulations over their usage, making them less attractive to modern farmers. Pesticide has also became less effective than it used to be, with pests developing tolerances and resistances to it more and more each year. So, a solution gaining following is to use the natural enemies of pests to control their population. Formally named bio-Control, humanity has been meddling in the food chain long enough to know that if we can release the right predators, then our pest problem will be kept in check. There are all kinds of bio-control, but since I am only taking an insect course, this blog will detail only insect to insect bio-control. 

            The first and familiar type of bio-control is called importation. With humanity's economies, we move all kinds of goods everywhere through various ways, and it is not uncommon for us to unknowingly carry insects with us to foreign lands. In these foreign lands, the pests have natural enemies, and being pests, they are designed to reproduce very quickly in favorable circumstances. So naturally, the harvests get shredded, and the pest is unchecked. We fight fire with fire-- in that we travel back to where we believe the pest originated from and find natural enemies. After we locate natural enemies, we do copious amounts of research and studies to make sure that those natural enemies will not bulldoze our land in any unforeseen ways. Now that we have acquired a safe and functional natural enemy, we return to our fields and release it upon the pests. 

           For a visual, remember with me the Israelites. There is a cycle in their history of following God and prospering-- and disobeying God and losing their civilization. When the Israelites experience success, they dominate whole countries, similar to how pests dominate the swaths of land that they are imported to. Then, after the Israelites lose their sight on God, they are reminded of just how weak they are, and are usually taken captive by the Philistines or Babylonians or another successful nation. Likewise, when pests like the Colorado Potato Beetle are on the top, we introduce a different species to knock their populations down. As you can see, biological control is not all that different from warfare, but as I mentioned before, it is cyclical. Just as the Israelites always came back on top, so will the pests. 


Image result for babylon attacked jerusalem
Babylonian Destruction of Israeli Temple
        Now, in order to maintain the bio-control we desire, we can use a second form of it, named augmentation. This is the enhancement of an already present natural predator. We might do this by creating favorable conditions for our natural predators in insectaries, in order to release them in the wild. Or, by genetically enhancing them, in stamina, or growth, or any beneficial trait(Mckay). Typically, since the first method to augmentation is easier, it is more commonly used. This method is only used in circumstances when the natural enemy cannot reproduce quickly enough on its own, or when it cannot control the pest population naturally. This is therefore one of the most expensive types of bio-control. But, it is better than using pesticides for all parties involved. Simply mass producing a generation of ladybugs only to release them to our aphid-rich fields isn't the most convenient method of bio-control, but it does work well, and helps the natural enemy gain a foothold in the nutrient-rich environment. 
   
       The last common type of bio-control is conservation. With this method, we already have an established population of natural enemies to regulate our pests. But, the natural enemies for some reason are under-performing, and need additional help in keeping the pests in check. There could be many reasons for this. There could be a need to reduce some inhibitors, or increase their resources. Pesticide may harm the natural enemy without intending to, and some pests eat poisonous plants and then use their poison as their own defense, harming the natural enemy's success(Shelton). Overewintering can be a struggle for natural enemies, but it was found that when certain leaf hopper natural enemies only overwintered on blackberry bushes far from their useful location, farmers planted blackberry closer to the fields so that the natural enemies would be more successful in the beginning of the season. 

       Biological control is one of the only sustainable methods we have to deal with pests, but when it works, it is one of the most reliable tools to combat them. Through importing natural enemies to follow the pests, raising predators, and creating a convenient environment for the natural enemies-- we are slowly but surely losing the need for pesticides. 


Image result for aphids and ladybeetle
Ladybird Beetle acting as a natural enemy upon an Aphid

Works Cited: 
1.  Mckay. (2015, July 01). Biological Control: Approaches and Applications. Retrieved from             https://ipmworld.umn.edu/landis

2.  Shelton, A. (n.d.). What is Biological Control? Retrieved from https://biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/what.php



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