Wasps to fight mealy bugs raised in Belize

In September the presence of the Pink Hibiscus Mealy Bug was detected for the first time in Belize. To combat the problem biological agents, special wasps were brought in from the Caribbean. But the high cost of the insects meant only a minimum could be purchased. Now with funding from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture, I.I.C.A., and the Regional International Organization for Plant and Animal Health, OIRSA, the Ministry and the Belize Animal Health Authority today opened an insectory in Belmopan. The lab will begin to produce the wasps by early next year. Plant Pathologist Lizandro Quiroz says the National Plant Protection Service will be running the lab. He says while the spread of the pest has been somewhat arrested, some people are transporting infected material from one area to another after quarantine check hours. To combat this a nursery inspection program will be launched in the near future.