Radiation can be used to sterilize non-native biological control agents, thereby reducing the risk of their introduction, as part of classical biological control, into new environments where they could potentially become pests of non-target organisms. Ionizing radiation is also a useful tool in studying physiological host-parasitoid interactions, such as host immune responses, by suppressing defensive reactions of natural or factitious (unnatural) hosts.Additionally, ionizing radiation can be applied to semi- or completely sterilize hosts or prey for deployment in the field to monitor natural enemy populations or to increase the initial survival and build-up of natural or released biological control agents in advance of seasonal pest population growth.