Koppert is currently the international market leader in the field of biological crop protection. Large-scale production of natural enemies, such as Encarsia formosa and Aphidius colemani, takes place in the main facility located in the Netherlands. In addition to Kopperts, there are several other large producers, such as Biobest (Belgium) - a leader in bumblebee pollination and biocontrol producer; Novartis BCM (England and California) - a division of Novartis Crop Protection and Applied Bio-Nomics Ltd. - Canada's largest producer of biological controls. There are also some small companies in the U. S. that specialize in the production of predatory mites, lacewings, and trichogramma parasitoids.

Distributors for these biocontrol producers are found throughout the U.S. and Canada. For example, International Technology Services (ITS), Lafayette, Colorado, is the U.S. distributor for Biobest Biologicals. Together with the technical support staff at Biobest, they have a full-time entomologist to answer pest-control and pollination questions. A list of distributors in the U.S. can be found at which is the web site of the Association of Natural Bio-control Producers.

Most distributors require orders to be placed by Thursday (since they must be shipped from Europe or Canada) for delivery the following Wednesday. Products are delivered directly to your farm or greenhouse via UPS, Airborne, or FedEx. Insist on guaranteed live delivery and overnight express only.

The large natural-enemy producers screen for quality, and use expiration dates. Check biocontrol shipments for this date, and be cautious of suppliers who do not put dates on the material. A non-reputable supplier could have material that is weeks old and not viable. When biocontrols arrive at your operation, check for viability. Predatory mites can be monitored by shaking material onto a white sheet of paper and observing movement.

Parasitoids, such as Aphidius colemani, are shipped in bottles. Within 24 hours after placement in the greenhouse, check bottles for parasitoid emergence. If you observe high mortality of parasitoids, call your distributor immediately. During warm-weather months, biocontrols should be shipped with cooling material. Inform employees that you will be receiving biocontrols, so that they can be stored in a cool area if you cannot distribute them immediately.

Web sites to explore are: