Press Release
June 29, 2010

More Massachusetts Greenhouses Using Biological Pest Controls

AMHERST, Mass. – A growing number of commercial growers of greenhouse crops in Massachusetts are controlling insect pests with beneficial insects, mites and nematodes, according to floriculture specialists Tina Smith and Paul Lopes from UMass Extension.

Natural enemies are becoming more and more common as insect control methods for commercial growers. Karen McNaughton, integrated pest management (IPM) coordinator for Mahoney’s Garden Center says that she is using beneficials to manage pests at all six of their garden centers in eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. “The control of aphid, whitefly and spider mites using beneficials is easy and we are getting a handle on managing thrips which is a much more difficult problem to control. If UMass and Extension had not been doing the research and grower trials for whitefly control using beneficial organisms, I would not be able to say that our company is almost free of pesticide use today.”

Smith and Lopes began an IPM education program for Massachusetts growers of greenhouse crops in 1990 and it has changed the way growers think about pest management. They worked with greenhouse growers to teach them to recognize pests, understand their life cycles and use safer pest management techniques. Roy Van Driesche, Extension professor in UMass Amherst’s department of plant, soil and insect sciences, became involved by conducting research on natural enemies of whiteflies and other greenhouse pests. The results of his research are used in many greenhouses today.

Thrips, aphids and fungus gnats are common pests of spring bedding plants and other crops grown in greenhouses in Massachusetts. These pests have natural enemies that are commercially reared and are purchased by growers for introduction into their crops. For example, the beneficial nematode Steinernema feltae, when introduced onto the soil of plants in a greenhouse will aggressively seek out fungus gnat larvae, enter their bodies and release symbiotic bacteria that kill the troublesome pest. Very small parasitic wasps are used to manage aphids; beneficial mites and beneficial nematodes are used to manage thrips.

In the past 20 years, the predominant crops and pest problem have changed. However, integrated pest management has become popular for use with greenhouse crops, especially for spring bedding plants and vegetable plants in Massachusetts. Smith and Lopes continue to hold grower workshops and use a Web-based message board to alert growers about important pests. There are still “bugs in the system,” but growers of greenhouse crops are using less toxic pesticide and more growers are using natural enemies to manage pests.

Contact: Joe Shoenfeld, 413/545-5309, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Greenhouse research lab photo

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