Across the corn belt depending on time of year | The primary insect predator of rootworm eggs and larvae are carabid beetles and carabid larvae. In the scientific literature, there is a study which shows Carabid beetles and larvae are immune to attack by biocontrol nematodes. However if you kill the insects in hot water, biocontrol nematodes will colonize them and reproduce. This indicates that the immune system of Carabids repels the nematode attack. It also indicated that Carabid beetles evolved in the presence of biocontrol nematodes which commonly occur in many soils.
There is also an ongoing USDA funded study conducted in Illinois, Texas and Nebraska looking at possible negative impacts to biocontrol nematodes. After one year, there is no significant impact on the beneficial insect population compared to the areas untreated or where soil insecticide was used. |
Biocontrol nematodes - Rootworm - Persistent Biocontrol
