In our latest paper out in Scientific Reports, we employed field trials and laboratory cage experiments to investigate the impact of winter flower strips on aphid biological control and the potential for competitive interactions between winter-active parasitoids and pollinators. We found that winter flower strips did not enhance aphid biological control in adjacent cereal fields. Furthermore, we found no evidence for exploitative competition between winter-active parasitoids and pollinators over floral resources. Flower strips may thus be implemented during winter months to support nectar-feeding insects when floral resources are scarce, with no evidence of competition between pollinators and parasitoids, nor a detrimental impact on biological control provision. You can read the full paper here.
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