Less-Toxic Gardening
When you see an ant or a fly in your home, or aphids and snails in your yard, do you automatically reach for the bug spray?
Evidence shows a growing number of commonly purchased and applied pesticides can be harmful to both people and the environment. Part of the problem is the toxicity of the pesticides themselves but, an even greater factor is the sheer volume of pesticides people use, which ends up in our soil, water, and air. You might think farmers are mainly responsible for pesticide problems however, more than half of the pesticides causing water quality problems are used in urban areas – by residents, home gardeners, and pest control professionals in and around homes, schools and businesses.
The use of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is an extremely popular and effective approach to preventing and handling pest problems. IPM offers a wide array of techniques to prevent and control pests around the house, lawn and garden, and to avoid conditions favorable to them.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Planning for a Healthier, Less-Toxic Home and Garden
Today’s gardeners, homeowners, and pet-lovers are looking for ways to manage pest problems with little or no use of toxic materials. Many are relying on a process called Integrated Pest Management or IPM.
IPM allows us to look at and deal with pest problems in a new way which can ultimately lead to longer lasting suppression of pests while using fewer harmful chemicals. This is accomplished without sacrificing comfort in the home or beauty and productivity in the garden.
At first, using IPM methods many seem more difficult than just spraying a pesticide whenever you spot a pest. But as you become more familiar with IPM, the process will become easier and you can feel confident you are creating and improving the natural balance in your garden and making your home and garden a safer place for the people and pets in your household.
IPM – AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
Prevention is the Key
The easiest solution to a problem is to prevent it in the first place. A little planning and a few habit changes will help to avoid pests from becoming a problem.
Outside: A plant that is under stress will be more susceptible to pests.
- Pick appropriate plants for your soil, sunlight and climate conditions.
- Perhaps the plant you’ve chosen grows better in full sunlight and sandy soil however, you have a shady yard and clay soil.
- Choose plant varieties which are resistant to disease.
- Water correctly. Plants receiving too much water can develop fungus or experience an iron deficiency among other problems. Plants that don’t receive enough water will not be healthy enough to fight off pests.
- Use slow-release, organic fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers can actually kill the microbes which are a vital part of the soil.
- Keep soil healthy by adding compost, organic materials and amendments. You often won’t need fertilizer.
- Choose flowers and plants that attract beneficial insects which eat bad bugs, such as Alyssum, Arroyo Lupine, Baby Blue Eyes, Baby’s Breath, Bachelor Buttons, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Calendula, California Poppy, Chinese Houses, Crimson Clover, Goldfields, Western Marsh-Rosemary, and Yarrow.
- Mulch pathways and other areas to prevent weeds and add nutrients to the soil.
Inside: good housekeeping will prevent most pest problems.
- Keeping food stored properly, counters clean and not leaving dishes in the sink will prevent ants.
- Regularly vacuum carpets, sweep floors and empty the trash to avoid attracting pests inside the house.
- Store only clean linens and woolens in airtight containers because clothes moths commonly feed on contaminated material.
Successful IPM Relies on Monitoring
IPM strongly emphasizes monitoring or gathering information on pests and the problems they cause. Regular inspection of your house, garden, or pet provide you with information needed to help you decide whether you have a pest problem, if the problem needs treatment, and how the problem should be treated.
Identify the cause of a problem. The bug you see on a plant may not be the one doing the damage! Is it a fungus or an insect? If an insect is suspect, it is creating chewing, boring or sucking type damage? The more you understand about pests, their habits, their life cycles, and the factors affecting their growth, the better you can prevent pest problems from happening, or deal with infestations that occur. Monitoring keeps you in touch of any changes as they happen.
The most successful gardeners keep garden journals. This helps to remember changes which occur year-to-year or season-to-season. This allows you to anticipate conditions that trigger pest problems and thus prevent them from occurring or catch them before they become serious. An example would be knowing Aphids attack your rose bushes each April, so you begin monitoring the area early. You can take precautionary action such as releasing Green Lacewings or if you see aphids, start hosing off the plants on a regular basis to stop an infestation. If you added mulch to your garden last fall and weeds were not such an overwhelming problem this spring, you will know to add mulch again this fall.
Try asking yourself these questions:
- How many pests are present and will that number cause serious damage? Most plants can support large numbers of aphids without much damage other than a few yellowing leaves which drop prematurely. On the other hand, one flea on a highly allergic dog will cause great suffering.
- In the garden, are any natural enemies of the pest present? There are many kinds of beneficial insects, spiders, and other organisms which feed on pests and thus provide free pest control. A good sign of a healthy garden is one that is abundant in "good" bugs. Learn to recognize beneficial predators such as Ladybugs, Syrphid flies, and Lacewings. If you see them in abundance, you may want to postpone any chemical treatments to see if these natural enemies will solve problems for you. Remember, using pesticides kill the beneficial insects as well, upsetting the natural balance and creating a need for even more pesticide.
- How many pests can you tolerate? People differ in the number of pests they are willing to tolerate. This also depends on factors such as how much damage is being done or if it is only cosmetic damage. IPM encourages people to evaluate the reasons for their tolerance levels and experiment with allowing a greater number of pests, especially in situations where damage is not serious.
When and How to Treat
Learn about the various types of controls listed below: cultural, mechanical, biological, environmental, or chemical. The most suitable control or combination of controls will depend on your situation. Proper timing of treatments is very important for good pest management. For some pests, treatments must be timed to coincide with a period in their lives when they are most vulnerable to treatment.
Regular monthly or bimonthly spraying of pesticides is NOT needed as it causes unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals. Pesticides kill beneficial insects in your garden, eliminating the natural pest control needed for a healthy garden. In addition, many kinds of pests will build up resistance to various pesticides over time.
IPM emphasizes combining or integrating a number of treatment methods into a comprehensive plan for managing the pest(s). Because of the complexity of the natural world, it is seldom possible to effectively control a pest with one treatment method.
Pesticides are only one kind of treatment. IPM does not prohibit the use of pesticides. Pesticides can be a useful tool but, they should be chosen carefully to be the least hazardous to people, pets and the environment. Ideally, pesticides should only be used in "spot" treatments on an "as needed" basis.
Cultural controls:
- Using plant species which are resistant to pests.
- Watering in the morning rather than in the evening will help reduce slug populations and fungus.
- Good housekeeping in the garden, such as removing rotten fruit, pet waste, dead plants and leaves reduces food and shelter for pests and the risk of diseases that infest plants.
- Mowing your lawn at the proper height and grass cycling contribute to a more vigorous lawn that can out-compete weeds, resist pests, and reduce the need for fertilizing.
- Cultural controls also include choosing the right plant for the right area; those which are pest resistant, grow well in your climate and soil type, with the amount of sunlight available.
Physical Controls
- Copper strips keep slugs and snails away from plants.
- Use caulking to plug pest entry holes in buildings.
- Sticky barriers keep ants and other crawling insects out of trees.
- Yellow sticky traps attract and trap flying insects.
- Use fabric row covers or cutoff plastic milk jugs over seedlings to stop insects and birds from eating them.
- Wash plants with a fine stream of water under pressure to dislodge pests from plant stems and leaves.
- Use special weed control fabric or mulch to suppress weeds.
- Use screen on doors and windows to prevent insects from entering the house.
- Use your own hands as a physical control to remove insects and insect egg masses from plants, picking up snails, or pulling weeds.
- Use a vacuum to capture whiteflies and other pests outdoors, and to capture ants, spiders, fleas inside your home.
Biological controls
- Pathogens are microscopic organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that cause diseases in pest insects, mites, nematodes, or weeds.
- Parasites attack pests – depositing one or more eggs in or on the host, and when the eggs of the parasite hatch, the larvae feed on or inside the host.
- Predators seize, overpower, or immobilize prey, and then consumes the prey entirely or feeds on its body fluids. They include a wide array of beneficial insects present in a healthy garden.
- You can probably find many biological controls, such as ladybugs, spiders, and ground beetles, thriving naturally in your garden. If you use pesticides, these "good" bugs will be absent or their numbers greatly reduced. You can also buy a wide variety of beneficial organisms from local garden supply stores and insectaries.
Least-toxic chemical controls
- Purchase ready-to-use products to reduce the risk of improperly mixing products. Most home gardeners will never use a large quantity of the concentrated products, meaning they get stored which can present other potential hazards.
- Look for environmentally friendly products which when used properly, are less disruptive to beneficial organisms and are less likely to cause water pollution.
- These include products such as insecticidal soaps and spray oils, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), pyrethrums, desiccating dusts (diatomaceous earth and silica aerogel), boric acid and borates.
- On the label, look for the word Caution, rather than Danger, Poison, or Warning.
- Always read the label! Only apply for pests listed on plants identified in the label.
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