Category Archives: Integrated Pest Management

Welcome Richard Higgins, our latest BSc researcher in Tropical Biodiversity

A new round of BSc research projects have just started for 2014/15 academic year.  Richard Higgins will be working with Paul Hatcher and Alastair Culham on the monitoring and management of Mealy bug in the tropical glasshouse. 

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Indicator species – early warning for pest attack

Any IPM plan should incorporate a monitoring scheme that allows the size of a pest population to be guaged, over time. By understanding the state of a population it’s then possible to make more informed decisions about whether to act … Continue reading

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Pinguicula gigantea – natural pest control

The butterworts, known botanically as Pinguicula, are a varied and widespread genus.  British botanists are used to seeing two species growing in very wet areas however in Mexico many of the butterworts grow in seasonally arid places and have thick … Continue reading

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Cryptolaemus, Certis and Cotton-wool

This gallery contains 7 photos.

The tropical biodiversity greenhouse has had a year to settle down now and the plant growth has been amazing.  Species that had never grown more than a metre or two high are now double their previous size and several have … Continue reading

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IPM – Total Pest Counts August-November 2012

Following two terms worth of data gathering for my final year project I have got an idea of the diversity of pests and their rate of spread int he tropical greenhouse. Below are two figures with the compiled total counts … Continue reading

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The Zebra Danios (Danio rerio) have produced babies

A group of six Zebra Danios (Danio rerio) have been living in the Tropical Greenhouse pond for several months.  Two weeks ago we added some new waterlilies to the pond and top dressed their pots with coarse gravel.  This seems … Continue reading

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Harlequin failure

After two weeks of waiting and checking on tiny mice it would appear that my attempt to initiate a bio control program using harlequin ladybirds has been a failure. The aphids are still high in numbers and happily feeding. Also … Continue reading

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The time for waiting is over!

Over the past few months I’ve been coming in at ten day intervals to take counts of pests. Each week something has changed and the display is really coming together nicely. Along side these changes I’ve also seen how remarkably … Continue reading

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Biological control – the common toad

Common toads (Bufo bufo) are frequent on our campus and one or two have a home in the tropical greenhouse.  They are fairly shy creatures that tend to hide under objects during the day and come out at night. The … Continue reading

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Whitefly and Parasitoid wasps

Whiteflies, of the family Aleyrudidae, are insects that belong to the same order as Aphids, Hemiptera. These small bugs are about 1-2mm long in adult form, with two pairs of white wings. Most of their time is spent on the … Continue reading

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