A Homeowner’s Guide to Integrated Pest Management
Have you ever come across a pest in your home garden? Maybe it started out as one or two aphids. But soon the problem grew as they ravaged your beloved roses?
Hopefully, this hasn’t actually happened to you. But, it is a problem that commonly occurs for homeowners. They have a nuisance pest that soon begins to cause real problems.
As a homeowner, you should consider using integrated pest management as a way to control possible pests in your home and landscape.
What is IPM?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a flexible way to manage pests that crop up. IPM can be used in almost any setting from farms to homes to home landscapes.
IPM focuses on long term solutions and integrates a variety of pest management strategies. Some strategies include biological, physical, and cultural control. Chemical controls may be used, but are usually less desirable. This mix of methods allows you to tailor your IPM plan to your individual situation.
What are the benefits?
There are a variety of methods for dealing with pests. The one that probably comes to mind is calling an exterminator or landscaper once the pest becomes an actual problem.
IPM offers a solution that may prevent it from ever becoming that big of a problem. IPM focuses on prevention and monitoring, meaning you don’t have to deal with expensive outside help. IPM methods tend to be cost-efficient and easy to implement, making them perfect for the average homeowner.
Because IPM places less emphasis on chemical controls, it can drastically reduce the amount of chemicals you need to use in your home and landscape. This reduces the risk of health issues, keeping your family and pets safe.
This also means Integrated pest management is more sustainable for the environment. It prevents excess runoff of chemicals. It also promotes healthy plants and non-target species.
What methods of control can I use?
IPM doesn’t focus on using only one strategy of control. There is not one best strategy. Instead, you develop a plan that uses a mix of the strategies that work for you.
There are a variety of methods of control, including:
- Biological – using other living things to control pests; Ex. promoting habitats of ladybugs that eat aphids (pests)
- Physical – creating a physical barrier against pests; Ex. building a fence to stop deer from entering your garden
- Cultural – modifying the growing environment to prevent the growth of pests; Ex. a farmer rotating their crops
- Chemical – application of chemicals to reduce pest population; Ex. using weed killer on your lawn
How do I use IPM as a homeowner?
Integrated pest management has a number of steps to follow in order to be successful.
Prevention: Prevention is the focus of IPM. If you prevent the pest, you don’t have to deal with it later. When considering which strategies you should use, you should implement the ones that will prevent pests from being a problem in the first place.
For example, you can choose plants that are best suited to your landscape. If you live in an area with a gypsy moth infestation, try choosing a tree species that are not hosts for gypsy moths (a poplar instead of a red oak).
Monitoring: Every once in a while, look around your home and garden to check for potential pests. Keeping track of the pests that are or could be in and around your home is also crucial to successfully using IPM. This will allow you to catch a problem early when it can easily be fixed.
Decision: If you find a pest problem, you have a decision to make. Not every pest needs drastic steps to deal with it. Think about how big of an issue the pest is or could become. If it is merely a nuisance, it’s probably not worth it to deal with. If it could cause a lot of damage, you should take steps to mitigate the damage.
The goal of IPM is not the eradication of pests. It is the management of them. If you can manage the spread and damage with little intervention, great. If it will become a problem, you may need to take bigger steps.
What’s next?
Once you decide to implement IPM as a homeowner, you have some planning to do. First, think about your goals and concerns for your home and landscape. This should guide you in the decisions you make.
Next, make a plan. It helps to answer some questions:
- How will you prevent pests?
- How will you monitor them?
- What are your preferred management strategies?
From, here you can begin to implement your IPM plan. If you need any additional help, be sure to reach out to your local Extension office or a trusted local landscaper.
Photo by Benjamin Combs on Unsplash
