The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a notorious quarantine fruit pest worldwide, poses a serious threat to the main apple producing areas in China. In terms of food safety, environmentally friendly biological pesticides are desirable substitutes for chemical pesticides; the long-term use of the latter have caused resistance, preventing its long team use for codling moth control. The present review summarized the use of biological pesticides, including parasitoids, sterilized insect, granulovirus, entomopathogenic nematodes, Bacillus thuringiensis, entomopathogenic fungi, microsporidia, sex pheromone, cantharidin, and spinosad that have been either applied or suggested to control codling moth. The challenges faced by biological pesticides are also discussed, and anyhow it will play an important role in the integrated pest management of codling moth due to its characteristics of infinite variety, wide source, good selectivity in application.