Suppliers of biological controls
Biological controls can sometimes be bought at garden centres (including the Wisley Plant Centre), but are usually supplied by mail order: being living animals with limited lives they cannot be stocked in shops. The exceptions are the nematodes used against slugs, vine weevil larvae, chafer grubs, leatherjackets and some other pests. These are stocked in refrigerated cabinets in some garden centres.
For success the suppliers’ instructions regarding release and subsequent care of the predators or parasites must be followed carefully.
The firms listed below can supply by mail order, subject to availability, the following biological controls.
Biological control |
Supplier |
| 1. Aphid fly predator | b,c,d,g,h |
| 2. Aphid parasite * | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 3. Caterpillar bacterium | No longer available in retail packs for garden use |
| 4. Fungus gnat predatory mite | b,c,d,e,f,g |
| 5. Lacewings (mainly aphid predator) | a,d,f,g |
| 6. Mealybug ladybird | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 7. Red spider mite predator | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 8. Soft scale parasite * | b,c,e,g, h |
| 9. Slug nematode | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 10. Thrips predatory mite | a,b,c,d,e,g |
| 11. Vine weevil nematode (mostly Steinernema kraussei; Agralan supplies Heterorhabdita megidis) | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 12. Whitefly ladybird | No longer available |
| 13. Whitefly parasite | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 14. Aphid ladybird larvae | a,d,e,f,g |
| 15. Glasshouse leafhopper parasite * | b,h |
| 16. Chrysanthemum leafminer parasite * | g |
| 17. Mealybug parasite * | b,c |
| 18 Chafer grub nematode | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 19. Leatherjacket nematode | a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h |
| 20. Fruit tree red spider mite predator | g |
| 21. Fungus gnat nematode | b,g |
| 22. Hard scale beetle predator | g, h |
| 23. Fungus gnat rove beetle predator | a,g |
| 24. Thrips predatory bug (Orius) | g |
| 25. Aphid hoverfly predator | g |
| 26. Caterpillar nematode | b,c,d,g |
| 27. Ant nest nematode | d,g |
* When applying for these parasites it is advisable to send to the firm samples of the pest(s) on their host plants in a dry polythene bag in a crush-proof container to ensure that they are species that can be dealt with by the parasites.
a) Agralan, The Old Brickyard, Ashton Keynes, Swindon,
Wilts SN6 6QR. Tel: 01285 860015
www.agralan.co.uk
[2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11
(Heterorhabditis megidis), 13, 14, 18, 19, 23]
b) Biowise, Hoyle Depot, Graffham,
Petworth, West Sussex GU28 0LR. Tel: 01798 867574
www.biowise-biocontrol.co.uk
[1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (Steinernema kraussei), 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 26]
c) Defenders, Occupation Road, Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25
5EN. Tel: 01233 813121
www.defenders.co.uk
[1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (Steinernema kraussei), 12, 13, 17]
d) Green Gardener, Brook Hill, Brundall Road, Blofield, Norfolk NR134LP. Tel: 01603 715096
www.greengardener.co.uk
[1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 (Steinernema kraussei), 13, 14, 18, 19, 26, 27]
e) Organic Gardening Catalogue, Riverdene Business Park,
Molesey Road, Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG. Tel:
0845 130 1304
www.organiccatalog.com/catalog
[2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11 (Steinernema kraussei), 13, 14, 18, 19]
f) Scarletts
Plant Care, The Glasshouses, Fletching Common, Newick, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 4JJ. Tel: 0845 094 5499
www.ladybirdplantcare.co.uk
[2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (Steinernema kraussei), 13, 14, 18, 19]
g) Just Green, Unit 14, Springfield Road, Springfield
Business Park, Burnham on Crouch, Essex CM0 8UA. Tel: 01621
785088
www.just-green.com
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (Steinernema kraussei), 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27]
h) The Natural Gardener, The Steppes, Hope under Dinmore, nr Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0PP. Tel: 01568 611729
www.thenaturalgardener.co.uk
[
1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 (Steinernema kraussei), 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 22]