Many growers have increased their use of biological control agents (BCAs), no longer relying exclusively on conventional pesticides to control pests. As growers become more familiar with these pest management tools, they are discovering how well BCAs work and how to easily incorporate them into pest management programs.
Julie Graesch, nematode field development specialist at Becker Underwood was featured in the May issue of American Nurseryman for her article titled “Pest Monitoring: A Best Practice.” The article explains the importance of routine monitoring and the intelligence you need to defeat your insect pest enemies.
Strong growth continues to spur expansion at Becker Underwood’s United States and Mexico operations. Over the last few years, the company has experienced tremendous growth, largely due to the development and introduction of an array of innovative new products. Included among those are a growing lineup of products which take advantage of relationships between plants and naturally-occurring microorganisms that can be harnessed to help improve crop performance.
Charles Whitt has joined Becker Underwood as communications manager. Charles will focus on several product lines including beneficial nematodes, inoculants, seed enhancements and turf and horticulture. In his new position, Charles will lead Becker
Sherman Hollins
Underwood’s U.S. and Mexico product communications efforts, providing both strategic and tactical leadership in the development and execution of all aspects of the company’s communications with both external and internal customers.
Sherman Hollins has been named the new regional sales manager for the eastern and southern U.S. and will be headquartered in North Carolina where he will be responsible
Dan Kuester
for sales covering 17 states.
Also joining Becker Underwood this month is Dan Kuester, a marketing communications specialist in agriculture products including beneficial nematodes, inoculants and seed enhancements.
Have you checked out our beneficial nematode playlist on our YouTube channel yet? With over 10 videos dedicated to beneficial nematodes, you can learn everything you need to know about beneficial nematodes as your biological pest control solution.
Shore flies are small flies (1/8 inch long) that commonly are found in greenhouses, often near water and green algae. Shore flies occasionally can be confused with sciarid flies, but shore flies are more stoutly built, are stronger fliers and have shorter, unbeaded antennae. Shore fly adults have black bodies, reddish eyes and dark wings with five or more light-colored spots on each wing.
Where to find?
Shore flies occur around damp, decaying vegetation, algae and fungi. They live in or on algal scum or very wet, decomposing organic matter and are common in greenhouses and outdoor areas where conditions are damp.
Life Cycle
The life cycle or shore flies consists of an egg, three larval instars, a pupa and an adult. Females lay 300-500 eggs in areas where algae accumulate, such as growing medium, benches and floors. Eggs hatch into yellowish-brown larvae with two forked, dark-tipped breathing tubes. Development from an egg to an adult requires approximately four weeks depending on temperature. Shore flies have multiple generations per year.
Damage
Adult and larvae feed on microscopic algae and other unicellular organisms. Shore flies are considered a nuisance pest because they leave frass deposits or fly specks on plant leaves or the growing medium, their frass may contain viable fungal spores. In rare cases, frass can build up and cause growth retardation in young cuttings. Flies present in large numbers can also become an irritation for nursery workers.
Treatment
Becker Underwood offers Millenium, a proprietary formulation of naturally-occurring insect parasitic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae, to control larval stages of shore flies, as well as other ornamental pests. The nematodes are released in their infective juvenile stage to search out and enter insect pests, such as the shore fly. Once inside, the nematodes release symbiotic bacteria that quickly kill targeted pests. Reproduction inside the insect releases new generations of infective juvenile nematodes that disperse in search of further prey. For more information, click here.
In a recent article published by Greenhouse Grower, Julie Graesch, Becker Underwood’s beneficial nematode field development specialist, explains that many greenhouse growers have found that biological control agents can be used to achieve commercially acceptable levels of control.
For any skeptical growers who believe BCAs are not practical to implement, Julie explains that performance barriers often can be addressed by implementing preventative use strategies and by fully adopting principles of integrated pest management (IPM) rather than as a direct replacement to conventional pesticides.
In a recent article published by Greenhouse Grower, Becker Underwood’s beneficial nematode field development specialist, Julie Graesch explains how many more growers are experiencing successful pest control with the use of beneficial nematodes. Usually, growers who experience the most success are the ones who understand how to properly apply beneficial nematodes. There are a variety of factors that influence nematode effectiveness temperature, humidity, soil moisture, chemical compatibility, spray adjuvants, equipment, mixing and all play a role in nematode efficacy.
Western flower thrips (WFT) are one of the most prevalent and damaging thrips species in greenhouse and nursery operations. Thrips are ubiquitous greenhouse and nursery pests that require constant monitoring and a rigorous management program for commercially acceptable levels of control.
Julie Graesch, nematode field development specialist at Becker Underwood was featured in the February issue of Greenhouse Canada for her article titled “Thrips Bug You? Bug Them Back!” The article discusses how biologically based IPM programs can be more user-friendly, economical and sustainable than traditional programs.
Read the entire article here and watch this video to learn how you can control western flower thrips in your greenhouse operation using beneficial nematodes.
Left: Adult western flower thrip on a leaf. Right: Beneficial nematode.
Julie Graesch, nematode field development specialist at Becker Underwood, and Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, owner of Buglady Consulting were featured in the January issue of Greenhouse Management for their article titled, “Cures for the Common Pests: Multiple methods for controlling fungus gnats and shore flies.” The article discusses the variety of ways growers can treat fungus gnats and shore flies in their greenhouse operations, including how to use insect parasitic nematodes (beneficial nematodes).
To read the entire Greenhouse Management article, click here or on the below image.
According to a recent article in Growing magazine the U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologists are studying the implementation of entomopathogenic nematodes on the peachtree borer to determine the optimum level of application and formulation for effective control.
“In small field plots, we demonstrated that the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae can control peachtree borer damage at levels similar to that of recommended chemical insecticide treatments, and that application costs are likely to be highly economical,” said USDA-ARS research entomologist David Shapiro-Ilan.
“The primary challenge that remains is to determine how best to apply the nematodes at a commercial scale so growers can adopt the practice,” said Shapiro-Ilan.
Guest Post By: Rick Israel, Head Grower, Banner Greenhouses
Rick Israel, Head Grower, Banner Greenhouses
Four years ago in an effort to operate more sustainably, we (Banner Greenhouses) started a biologicals program using Nemasys® and Millenium® beneficial nematodes. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at the beginning on how the beneficial insects would work in comparison to the pesticides we were using at the time. But I can now say without hesitation the program has been very successful!
We noticed a reduction in our pest populations after ten days and it has been easy to maintain control with regular nematode applications. Through our increased use of biological pest control methods, we have also reduced our use of pesticides by about 70%.
When using beneficial nematodes you have to be proactive, so we implemented a scouting program. We start by putting new sticky cards out on Monday and read the cards on Tuesday to get a one day average, and then get a seven day average after that. This process helps us determine the amount of beneficial nematodes we need to apply; the beneficial program is a numbers game: X amount of beneficial nematodes needed to control X amount of pests.
We do a sprench or drench application of Nemasys and Millenium combined normally once a week. We like to use the combo approach for a couple reasons: first, to make sure we’re protecting our plants against the three main nuisance pests – western flower thrips, fungus gnats and shore flies – and secondly, it saves us an application which ultimately saves us time.
As a grower I put in a tremendous amount of hours, so anyway I can save time certainly helps. With our increased use of beneficial nematodes, we now spend less time suiting up in protective gear for applications. We can apply Nemasys and Millenium any time within the weather extremes. It makes life a lot easier!
One of the biggest benefits of using Nemasys and Millenium in our pest management program has been the ability to tell our customers about the limited use of pesticides used on our products. This makes customers extremely happy and a happy customer is good business.
Our greenhouses are nestled along the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina. Banner is family owned and has been producing flowering annuals and vegetable plants since 1991. Our greenhouses cover 12 acres and enable us to provide optimum growing conditions for each of our cultivars.
Banner Greenhouses, 2239 South Creek Rd., Nebo, NC 28761 828.659.3335
Nematode News is powered by the expert staff at Becker Underwood USA. This is a community where growers can share experiences, tips and suggestions about the use and benefits of beneficial nematodes in the professional horticulture industry.
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Becker Underwood. is headquartered in Ames, Iowa. We're the leading global producer of beneficial nematodes, inoculants, mulch colorants and a wide range of agricultural and horticultural solutions. We’re constantly seeking innovative answers and turning customer challenges into opportunities – Always Thinking Ahead®.
