How To Pick A Good Release Site
      The release site should:
      1) have a large infestation of the weed of interest,
      2) be contiguous to other infestations so that the insects can spread to new areas,
      3) fit the ecological needs of the biocontrol agent to increase chances of establishment,
      4) be easy for you to get to, to monitor and collect from in the future,
      5) be relatively undisturbed (heavily grazed, plowed, etc.) for at least 5 (preferably 10) years with a land owner agreement in writing, and
      6) be well marked, photographed and mapped (the map data should be added to Montana Noxious Weed Survey and Mapping System) so that accurate state wide records can be kept for current and future use.  (1)
      What is Biological Pest Control?
      Biological control is any activity involving the control of pests with their own natural enemies (biocontrol agents).  These agents of control can include predators or pathogens that help to reduce the pest population.

      Some Advantages of Biological Pest Control
      Biocontrol is an alternative that can be used where pesticides (herbicides) can not be used to reduce pest populations.  Biocontrol methods can be used in agricultural and wild settings to prevent pest populations from reaching uncontrollable and damaging numbers. (1,2)

      When you use this method correctly a number of commercial biological control agents/products can be very effective in agricultural and range settings.  Biocontrol agents (often plant eating insects) have evolved very specific host preferences for the target pest, unlike broad spectrum pesticides which kill a wide range of species.  They also continually reproduce them selves when established (do not need to be reapplied) and can spread into new areas on their own. (1,2)

      Some Disadvantages of Biological Pest Control
      A disadvantage to biocontrol is that it takes more intensive management and planning.  Often it takes more time, requires more record keeping, more education, more training, and more patience.  For this to become successful it requires more understanding of the biology of both the pests and the enemies.  Numerous natural enemies are susceptible to pesticides, and using all possible control methods in an integrated pest management (IPM) program takes a lot of care.  Sometimes biocontrol can be more costly than pesticides.  The results are not as rapid as the results that you would get from a pesticide.  We stress the idea if IPM!  Use every control method possible where they best fit!! (1,2)

      Bibliography
      (1) Breitenfeldt, Todd., Release Site Photos, [Web Site] http://mtwow.org/release-site-photos.html, Site Supervisor: Todd Breitenfeldt, Montana War On Weeds, Whitehall Schools science teacher.  E-mail:tbreit@whtlsv99.ixi.net, 4/25/2000.

      (2) Orr, David & James Baker, Biological Control: Purchasing Natural Enemies, [Web Site] http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/biocontrol/3ahtm, Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, 1997.

      By: Colleen Dosland   3/30/01
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