Aphid Control
Biocontrol strategies using ladybirds, parasitoids and mixes.
View details →Biological Pest Control Solutions
Practical biological pest control guidance for UK growers using beneficial insects, predatory mites, parasitoids, monitoring and integrated pest management. Use this hub to find crop pest solutions, compare beneficial insects and link through to BioWiki, crop guidance and decision-support tools.
The main pest groups covered include aphids, thrips, whitefly, spider mites, mealybug, vine weevil, leafminer, caterpillars, sciarid fly, slugs and spotted wing drosophila. Each solution focuses on practical control options, suitable beneficials, environmental conditions and how to fit biological control into a wider IPM programme.
Browse Pest Control Solutions
Spider Mite Control
Predatory mites such as Phytoseiulus.
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Thrips Control
Orius + Amblyseius swirskii systems.
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Whitefly Control
Encarsia + Eretmocerus systems.
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Fungus Gnat (Sciarid Fly) Control
Stratiolaelaps and nematodes.
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Mealybug Control
Cryptolaemus + parasitoids.
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Vine Weevil Control
Nematodes for larvae + monitoring adults.
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Caterpillar Control
Bt + predators.
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Slugs & Snails Control
Phasmarhabditis nematodes.
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Broad Mite Control
A. cucumeris + A. swirskii.
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Leaf Miner Control
Diglyphus isaea.
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Capsid Bug Control
Integrated IPM approaches.
View details →Tomato Russet Mite Control
Microscopic russet mite causing bronzing and collapse of tomato foliage.
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Leafhopper Control
Sap-feeding pest causing hopper burn and stippling.
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Psyllid Control
Sap-feeding pest causing leaf cupping, honeydew and distorted new growth.
View details →Shore Fly Control
Algae-associated fly leaving black spotting on leaves and growing surfaces.
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Tuta absoluta Control
Serious tomato leafminer causing blotch mines and fruit damage.
View details →Scale Insects Control
Wide range of soft and hard scale species causing sap loss, honeydew and plant decline.
View details →Root Aphid Control
Soil-dwelling aphids feeding on roots causing wilting, yellowing and poor nutrient uptake.
View details →Gall Mites Control
Microscopic eriophyid mites that induce galls, blisters and distorted plant tissue.
View details →Springtails Control
Soil-dwelling detritivores sometimes mistaken for root pests.
View details →Capsid Nymphs Control
Juvenile capsid bugs causing distortion, scarring and aborted growth.
View details →Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae) Control
Highly damaging mite causing bronzing, webbing and rapid population growth.
View details →Carmine Spider Mite (Tetranychus cinnabarinus) Control
Red morph spider mite with strong webbing and heat tolerance.
View details →Fruit Fly (Drosophila spp.) Control
Small vinegar flies attracted to fruit, compost and fermentation by-products.
View details →Beetle Larvae (Chafer Grubs & Vine Weevil Grubs) Control
Soil-dwelling larvae feeding on roots, causing severe wilting and plant loss.
View details →Wireworm (Agriotes spp.) Control
Soil-dwelling click beetle larvae feeding on roots, tubers and young plants.
View details →Swift Moth Larvae (Ghost Moths, Hepialidae) Control
Large soil-dwelling larvae feeding on roots and crowns, causing severe wilting.
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Thrips parvispinus Control
Highly invasive thrips species causing scarring, distortion and rapid crop damage.
View details →Leatherjackets (Crane Fly Larvae) Control
Soil-dwelling crane fly larvae that feed on roots and collars, causing wilting and turf loss.
View details →Tomato Leafminer Fly (Liriomyza bryoniae) Control
Leafmining fly causing serpentine tunnels in tomato and related crops.
View details →Bulb Mites (Rhizoglyphus spp.) Control
Soil and bulb-dwelling mites feeding on bulb tissue, roots and basal plates.
View details →Green Peach Aphid (Myzus persicae) Control
Polyphagous aphid species attacking many crops and transmitting viruses.
View details →Black Bean Aphid (Aphis fabae) Control
Dark aphid species attacking beans, ornamentals and many field crops.
View details →Potato Aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) Control
Large aphid species found on potatoes, tomatoes and ornamentals.
View details →Allium Leaf Miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma) Control
Leafmining pest of leeks, onions and other alliums causing distorted foliage and rotting stems.
View details →Pepper Weevil (Anthonomus eugenii) Control
Serious pest of peppers and chillies, damaging buds, flowers and fruit.
View details →Rust Mites (Eriophyid Mites) Control
Microscopic mites causing russeting, bronzing and leaf deformity on fruit and ornamentals.
View details →Sciarid Larvae (Fungus Gnat Larvae) Control
Soil-dwelling larvae feeding on roots, algae and organic matter in propagation media.
View details →Cabbage White Caterpillars Control
Chewing larvae of cabbage white butterflies causing holes and skeletonised brassica leaves.
View details →Chrysanthemum Leafminer (Phytomyza syngenesiae) Control
Leafminer causing serpentine mines in chrysanthemum and related ornamentals.
View details →Broad Bean Beetle (Bruchus rufimanus) Control
Seed beetle attacking developing broad beans and reducing seed quality.
View details →Aphid Winged Alates Control
Winged dispersal stage of many aphid species often seen colonising new crops.
View details →Slugs (Arion species) Control
Medium to large slugs feeding on leaves, stems and seedlings in damp conditions.
View details →Slugs (Deroceras species) Control
Smaller, often faster-moving slugs attacking young plants and low foliage.
View details →Pepper Thrips Control
Thrips species attacking peppers and ornamentals, causing scarring and bronzing.
View details →Root Mealybug Control
Hidden soil-dwelling mealybugs feeding on roots and crowns of ornamentals and container crops.
View details →Tobacco Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Control
Highly invasive whitefly species capable of virus transmission and resistant to many pesticides.
View details →Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) Control
Major thrips pest of protected crops, causing silvering, bronzing and virus transmission.
View details →Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci) Control
Thrips species attacking onions, leeks and salads, causing silver streaks and reduced yield.
View details →Green Leafhopper Control
Small green leafhoppers causing hopper burn, yellowing and reduced vigour.
View details →Box Psyllid (Psylla buxi) Control
Sap-feeding pest of box plants causing cupping and distorted foliage.
View details →Pea & Bean Weevil (Sitona lineatus) Control
Weevil pest of peas and beans causing notching on leaves and root nodule damage.
View details →Black Vine Thrips (Hercinothrips femoralis) Control
Dark thrips species damaging foliage of ornamentals and pot plants.
View details →Tomato Pinworm (Keiferia lycopersicella) Control
Leaf and fruit boring moth pest of tomatoes, causing mines and galleries.
View details →Sciarid Fly (Bradysia impatiens) Control
Common fungus gnat species in propagation and pot crops.
View details →Woolly Beech Aphid (Phyllaphis fagi) Control
Woolly aphid forming cottony colonies on beech leaves and shoots.
View details →Gall Midges (Cecidomyiidae) Control
Small flies whose larvae cause galls, blisters or distortion on leaves and shoots.
View details →Mussel Scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi) Control
Armoured scale insect forming mussel-shaped covers on bark and twigs.
View details →Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) Control
Key fruit moth pest causing “maggoty” apples and pears.
View details →Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) Control
Defoliating moth of fruit trees and ornamentals whose larvae feed in spring.
View details →Chafer Grubs (Garden Chafer & Cockchafer) Control
Soil-dwelling white grubs feeding on roots in turf and nursery stock.
View details →Spotted Wing Drosophila Control
Monitoring and IPM guidance for spotted wing drosophila in soft fruit and cherry crops.
View details →Pear Sucker Control
Pear sucker (pear psylla) biological control and IPM guidance.
View details →Most Used Biological Control Guides
Aphid Control
Use parasitoids, predators and crop hygiene to manage aphid colonies before populations spread.
Aphid control →Thrips Control
Plan predatory mites, Orius and monitoring around flowering, temperature and crop risk periods.
Thrips control →Spider Mite Control
Use early detection, humidity management and predatory mites before webbing develops.
Spider mite control →Whitefly Control
Combine Encarsia, Eretmocerus, predatory mites and monitoring for glasshouse whitefly programmes.
Whitefly control →Vine Weevil Control
Target larvae with nematodes and predatory mites while monitoring adult feeding damage.
Vine weevil control →SWD Control
Monitor spotted wing drosophila in soft fruit and cherry crops using traps, hygiene and crop timing.
SWD control →Browse Biological Control by Crop
Crop pages help connect pest pressure with real growing situations, including soft fruit, protected crops, herbs, ornamentals and tree fruit.
Strawberries
Thrips, aphids, spider mites, whitefly, SWD and crop hygiene.
Strawberry IPM →Tomatoes
Whitefly, leafminer, aphids, spider mites and protected crop IPM.
Tomato IPM →Cucumbers
Thrips, spider mites, aphids and whitefly in warm glasshouse crops.
Cucumber IPM →Raspberries
Aphids, mites, SWD and biological control planning in cane fruit.
Raspberry IPM →Ornamentals
Mixed pest programmes for protected ornamental and nursery crops.
Ornamental IPM →Herbs
Low-residue pest management for edible herbs and protected production.
Herb IPM →Popular Beneficial Insects and Predators
Learn how commonly used beneficial insects fit into biological pest control programmes. These pages explain what each beneficial targets and where they are most useful.
Orius
Predatory bugs used mainly for thrips, with useful activity on small soft-bodied pests.
Orius BioWiki →Anthocoris
Predatory bugs useful against aphids, psyllids and small larvae in suitable crops.
Anthocoris BioWiki →Aphidius
Parasitoid wasps used for aphid control within protected and outdoor IPM programmes.
Aphidius BioWiki →Encarsia
Classic whitefly parasitoid used in protected crops and long-term whitefly programmes.
Encarsia BioWiki →Predatory Mites
Key beneficials for thrips, spider mites, sciarid fly and soil-dwelling pests.
Predatory mites →Ladybirds
Useful aphid predators, especially where colonies are already visible.
Ladybirds BioWiki →Biopredator Tools
Use the tools below alongside the solution pages to identify pests, compare biological control options, plan release timing and assess pest pressure risk.
Pest Identification
Use simple symptoms and crop signs to narrow down likely pest problems.
Open Pest ID →Biocontrol Selector
Compare beneficial insects and biological options by pest and conditions.
Open selector →Release Planner
Plan biological releases using pest pressure, crop stage and programme timing.
Open planner →IPM Risk Engine
Assess pest risk using environmental and crop-pressure indicators.
Open risk engine →Weather
Check weather conditions that may influence pest pressure and beneficial activity.
Open weather tool →BioWiki
Read background pest and beneficial insect information without product bias.
Open BioWiki →How to Use This Hub
Start with the pest solution page if you already know the problem. If you are unsure, use the pest identification tool first. For crop-specific planning, move from the pest page into the relevant crop page, then use the release planner or biocontrol selector to compare suitable biological control options.
Biological control works best when releases are timed early, pest monitoring is regular, environmental conditions are suitable and chemical disruption is avoided where possible. The solution pages are designed to connect these decisions together rather than treating each beneficial insect or pest in isolation.