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As farmers face increasing pressure from regulators and neighbors to reduce their use of toxic chemicals, they turn to such alternatives as beneficial insects, which can be used in place of pesticides to attack plant-munching bugs. Hundreds of millions of such beneficial predators are produced each year by Associates Insectary, where Victor Galvan holds 25 grams of immature oleander scale. The scale insects, which are allowed to grow on banana squash stored in a darkened room, are raised as food for parasitic wasps the company produces for release into citrus orchards. Once they’ve been released, the wasps will prey on scale varieties that damage lemon and orange trees.

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A Year in Ventura County Agriculture
As farmers face increasing pressure from regulators and neighbors to reduce their use of toxic chemicals, they turn to such alternatives as beneficial insects, which can be used in place of pesticides to attack plant-munching bugs. Hundreds of millions of such beneficial predators are produced each year by Associates Insectary, where Victor Galvan holds 25 grams of immature oleander scale. The scale insects, which are allowed to grow on banana squash stored in a darkened room, are raised as food for parasitic wasps the company produces for release into citrus orchards. Once they’ve been released, the wasps will prey on scale varieties that damage lemon and orange trees.
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