Biocontrol Agents
Organisms—usually fungi, bacteria, or parasites—deliberately introduced to control pest populations by infecting, parasitizing, or competing with them.
Living organisms deployed to manage or reduce populations of agricultural or environmental pests without synthetic chemicals. Common types include parasitic fungi, entomopathogenic bacteria, and predatory insects. They work by infecting, parasitizing, or outcompeting target pests, and represent a cornerstone of integrated pest management and sustainable agriculture.
What this means in real life
A farmer releases ladybugs into a crop field infested with aphids; the ladybugs eat thousands of aphids over weeks, controlling the pest without spraying chemicals that might harm soil or water.
What it isn’t
Not a pesticide or chemical spray. Many assume biocontrol means simply introducing any organism; in reality, effective biocontrol requires careful selection of species that target specific pests without harming crops or native wildlife.
Commonly misused online
Social media often conflates biocontrol with 'just adding bugs to your garden'—ignoring that successful biocontrol requires matching the right predator to the right pest and understanding local ecology.
Based on 2 reference sources, including news reporting. Last verified July 14, 2026.