What is biological control?

Biological control may be defined as the action of predators, parasitoids, pathogens, antagonists, or competitor populations to suppress a pest population, making it less abundant and less damaging than it would otherwise be. In other words, biological control is a population-leveling process in which one species’ population lowers the numbers of another species by mechanisms such as predation, parasitism, pathogenicity or competition. Biological control has proven relatively successful and safe. It can be an economical and environmentally benign solution to severe pest problems.