Integrated Pest Management

What is a Pest? Any organism that spreads disease, destroys property, competes with people for resources such as food, or is just a nuisance

Pesticides People typically will use pesticides, like: Insecticides Herbicides Nematicides Fungicides Rodenticides

Integrated Pest Management IPM – an information- based approach to controlling pests

Why do we have a pest problem? 98% of forests have been logged Pest populations have been altered by humans

Forest Pests Examples Tent Caterpillars Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Canadian Geese Mosquitoes

Exotic Pests An insect or other organism that is not native to an area and is introduced

Exotic Pests Examples Gypsy Moth Asian Long-horned Beetle European Starling Ladybugs

IPM in Practice Six Steps of IPM 1. Identify your pest and the damage properly 2. Learn the biology of your pest 3. Survey for pest population

Six Steps of IPM 4. Establish action threshold (tolerance level) 5. Select management tactics 6. Evaluate results

Management Tactics What you can do about it! Use the IPM Pyramid

IPM Pyramid First – Use Cultural/Physical Methods Multi-cropping Vacuuming Screens

IPM Pyramid Second – Biological/Genetic Methods Biocontrol Parasitoids Genetic Engineering

IPM Pyramid Third – Biorational Pesticides Water Spray Rotenone Soaps

IPM Pyramid Last Resort! – Chemical Pesticides Round up Insect sprays

Larger areas are controlled by: EPA USDA Pike County Conservation District

Effects on the Environment Positive Safer Fewer Pesticides Lower Cost

Effects on the Environment Negative Changes to the local ecosystem Does not eliminate all pests Takes a lot of time