biological control

American  

noun

1. the control of pests by interference with their ecological status, as by introducing a natural enemy or a pathogen into the environment.

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biological control British  

noun

1. the control of destructive organisms by the use of other organisms, such as the natural predators of the pests

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biological control Scientific  

1. Control of pests by disrupting their ecological status, as through the use of organisms that are natural predators, parasites, or pathogens. Examples of biocontrol include the use of ladybugs to prey on aphids and scale insects and the treatment of turf with spores of the bacterium Bacillus popilliae, which cause milky disease in Japanese beetle larvae.

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Etymology

Origin of biological control

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The findings may help scientists develop more effective biological control methods.

From Science Daily

From 2005 to 2019, managers attempted biological control measures to reduce urchin numbers, but these efforts ultimately did not succeed.

From Science Daily

The team plans to further explore the promise of mycoviruses as a biological control tool across different species and environmental conditions.

From Science Daily

"They can result in an expansion of their geographic distribution, increased survival during overwintering, increased number of generations, altered synchrony between plants and pests, altered interspecific interaction, increased risk of invasion by migratory pests, increased incidence of insect-transmitted plant diseases, and reduced effectiveness of biological control, especially natural enemies."

From Salon

"This is the positive message. Solving the puzzle of biological control of ice formation drives scientists to collaborate," Molinero said.

From Science Daily