What is Biological control?
[[Image:Chrysopidae 3035.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Lacewing]]s are available from biocontrol dealers.]] '''Biological control''', '''biocontrol''', or '''biological pest control''', is the reduction of [[Pest (biology)|pest]] populations by using natural enemies.<ref>Wiedenmann, R. 2000. Introduction to biological control. ''Midwest Institute for Biological Control''. Illinois. Available from [http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/research/biocontrol] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810071903/http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/research/biocontrol/ |date=2011-08-10 }}</ref> It is important because [[crop]] pests become [[Resistance|resistant]] to [[chemical]] [[pesticide]]s. Natural enemies of insect pests include [[predator]]s, [[parasitoid]]s, and [[pathogen]]s. Biological control agents of weeds include [[herbivore]]s and plant pathogens. Predators, such as birds, [[lady beetle]]s and [[lacewing]]s, are free-living species that eat many prey during their lifetime. Parasitoids are species whose [[larva]]e develop on or in a single insect host, ultimately killing or fatally infecting the host. Most have a very narrow host range. Many species of wasps and some flies are parasitoids. Pathogens are disease-causing organisms including [[bacteria]], [[fungi]], and [[virus]]es.<ref>{{cite journal | author=R. James Cook | journal=Annual Review of Phytopathology | year=1993 | volume=31 | pages=53–80 | url=http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.py.31.090193.000413 | title=Making greater use of introduced microorganisms for biological control of plant pathogens | doi=10.1146/annurev.py.31.090193.000413 | pmid=18643761 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> They kill or debilitate their host and are relatively specific.<ref>Meaning they do not attack too many other species.</ref> == Three strategies == There are three basic types of biological control strategies; conservation, classical biological control, and augmentation. *Conservation: Avoid using pes