WHERE AND WHEN TO USE COCHINEAL?
“Where” relates to how much pear there is. If you only have a small patch, if you want to keep your property really clean, or if you want to run special animals eg stud cattle or horses in the paddock, don’t rely on insects. On the other hand, if you have pear over a large and/or inaccessible area, biological control is an excellent, cost-effective and long-term option. “When” to use cochineal relates to climatic conditions. In north-western New South Wales, cochineal insects are at their peak from November to May. They are delicate little critters and are easily wiped out by a combination of wet and cold weather. MEANS OF DISTRIBUTION The eggs hatch into tiny “crawlers” within a few hours. The crawlers’ natural instinct is to move off to find a new food source. They have four (4) different means of travel: 1) They can crawl over smooth ground for up to 10 metres in search of new plants. But, they’re not so good on rough ground (eg they can disappear forever into a crack in black soil)
