Fly-eating Wasps Part of Integrated Pest Control Equestrian
Journal, March/April 2002 Equestrian Journal Correspondent
Parasitic insects aren't the only method of reducing fly
populations, but the wasp bred and marketed by Kunafin is one
way to control flies. "We want to make sure that people
understand the process, and education is a big part of our deal.
We are not just out there trying to sell a bag of bugs," said
Kunafin entomologist Frank Junfin. Kunafin raises seven
different species of wasps. The wasp family includes species
which can be noticeably seen by humans at eye level and whose
stingers can be felt if humans run afoul of the wasps'
territorial needs. But the wasp family includes the insects
Kunafin breeds and sells, which measure less than a millimeter,
who rarely if at all fly much above the ground, and whose
stingers would not be felt by a human. "They are not visible in
our presence. They're always in the soil," Junfin explained.
"They're a wasp by definition, but they are soil insects." The