Pest Management
Natural Enemies
Natural Enemies Presentations | Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group
The mission of the GLVWG is to form a communication network of vegetable specialist’s throughout the Great Lakes region to address current priorities facing growers and the vegetable industry.
Natural Enemy Field Guide | Gardiner et al
Natural Enemies are beneficial organisms that provide biological control, or natural pest control. Many natural enemies are insects. This guide illustrates common natural enemies found in agricultural crops and home gardens. In addition to photos, we indicate key characters to identify each natural enemy.
Strategies to Enhance Beneficials | SARE
One of the most powerful and long-lasting ways to minimize economic damage from pests is to boost populations of existing or naturally occurring beneficial organisms by supplying them with appropriate habitat and alternative food sources. Beneficial organisms such as predators, parasites and pest-sickening “pathogens” are found far more frequently on diverse farms where fewer pesticides are used, than in monocultures or in fields routinely treated with pesticides.
General Resources
Pest Management | National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
This page has links to specific pest management information. Many of the fruit and vegetable guides have information specific to pest of those crops (i.e. Grapes: Organic Production, has much information on grape pests), so if you’re unable to find what you need here, search for production guides in the appropriate section, or try the Ecological Pest Management D-base, which contains information about materials to help manage a wide range of pests, as well as information about prevention of specific pests.
Identifying & Enhancing Natural Enemies in Vegetable Crops | Ohio State University
A thirty minute video about how to identify and enhance natural enemies. The video also includes strategies for habitat management.
Pest Management | MSU Extension
Michigan State University Extension offers resources to help people correctly identify pests—insects, weeds, plant diseases and other pests—and then choose an effective control when one is needed. Contact your local Extension office or MSU Pest Diagnostic Services for help in identifying a specific pest.
Enviro-weather | MSU Extension
Pest and production management tools for Michigan vegetable producers, written from a climate and weather perspective.
Integrated Pest Management | MSU Integrated Pest Management Program & AABI
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) uses science-based information to safeguard human and environmental health by using the least toxic methods first, up to and including pesticides when appropriate.