Bioproducts for pest management is an underappreciated application of biotechnology especially given the controversy surrounding B.t. corn and the risks associated with the use of other GMOs in the "real" world. However, if you were faced with the prospect of no more chemical pesticides, as we are this summer here in Ontario, you might be a little more liable to investigate, and appreciate some of the latest developments in agricultural biotechnology – anti-pest solutions that can, and likely will, be applied to urban areas to replace the chemicals we have all taken for granted since the 1960s. Here are some solutions to urban pest control that are being utilized in the cities of Canada:

The Gypsy Moth is killing trees in Hamilton, Ontario, but the city is fighting back with B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis) applied via an aircraft spraying program. The soil-borne bacterium targets the larvae of insects within the order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and is approved for organic farming use in Ontario. Hamilton has several webpages set up to educate and inform residents of the technology.

The government of Canada has reported that scientists with Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (AAFC) discovered a fungal species that can be used for the control of dandelions. While the report doesn't name the fungus, other sources can be found that name Sclerotinia minor, a fungus indigenous to Canada, as a biopesticide that kills dandelions and other broadleaf weeds, but not grass: one of the truly "green" examples of biotech! The fungus is commercially available and does not produce spores or toxins.