1. Biological control of aphids
By Taylor Sabo

2. Introduction
Aphids responsible for between 10-250
million dollars in crop damage1
Growing interest in biological control
due to increasing ecological impact of
pesticides2

3. Research questions
1. Can biological control agents
become established in a hoop
house environment
2. How effective can biological
control agents be in a hoop
house

4. Materials and Methods
• Four hoop houses. Two treated with
biocontrol agents (4, 2) two left alone
(Pi, 3).
Mixtures of lettuce, kale,
spinach, and chard grown in
hoop houses all organically
managed.

5. • Hoop houses were divided into 12
sections for binomial sampling
between 2/9 and 4/24
• Sampling in each section with meter
stick for presence/absence
• Sticky traps in each hoop house to
track flying aphids and beneficials

6. Results

7. Results
• Both aphids and
beneficials showed
significant population
decreases after weeding
and harvesting
• Syrphid flies significant
ally

8. Results
• Temperature had little if
any affect on results

9. Conclusions
• More work is needed to determine ability of beneficials to
establish
• Experiment needs to determine what affect beneficials
have on aphid populations

10. Diehl, E., E. Sereda, V. Wolters, and K. Birkhofer, 2013. Effects of predator specialization, host plant and climate on biological
control of aphids by natural enemies: a meta‐analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology, 50(1), 262-270.
Raupp, M.J., M.R. Hardin, S.M. Braxton, and B.B. Bull. 1994. Augmentative releases for aphid control on landscape
plants. Journal of Arboriculture, 20, 241-241.
References

11. Sean Clark
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/Insects/Green%20Lacewing/greenlacel.jpg
Photo credit