When it comes to crop production, insect pests have always posed problems for farmers. Even large-scale industrial crops are sometimes at the mercy of one particularly nasty insect crop pest. Over the ages humanity has tried to devise and concoct a variety of different pest control methods. Everything from sticky traps to insecticides to literal lasers have been developed for pest control purposes. It is probable that every pest control method ever used possesses at least some benefit. However, according to experts from all over the world, biological control is quickly becoming the most reliable and effective form of insect pest control.

Biological control involves using one organism as a means of controlling the population size of another organism. For example, invasive vegetation, like certain rapidly growing weeds, sometimes require the artificial introduction of an insect pest species that survives by feeding on such noxious weeds. Biological insect pest control methods have been used for well over a century, and despite the widespread enthusiasm for biological control methods within the scientific community today, biological pest control does not have the best track record. For instance, several times throughout history, officials have introduced biological control agents into North America in the form of insects. On some occasions, these supposedly helpful insects had become pests themselves in North America. Now technology and scientific knowledge concerning insects has grown to the point where these problems are no longer much of a concern to scientists. In fact, countries all over the world are attempting to import and raise a particular type of insect for its value as a biological pest control agent. These insects are parasitic wasps, and they are being artificially bred in laboratories in all regions of the world for pest control purposes.

Australia keeps a reserve of parasitic wasps for use when they are necessary. Not long ago, South African researchers traveled to Australia solely to take parasitic wasp specimens back to Africa for a breeding program aimed at achieving insect pest control in crops. Due to an international agreement, Australia will soon produce an army of parasitic wasps for insect control purposes in Laos. Australian officials sometimes use parasitic wasps in order to prevent gall wasp damage to eucalyptus trees.

Do you believe that parasitic wasps could evolve to carry disease to crops, or even humans?