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Integrated Pest Management
Controlling Garden Pests Safely
Home gardeners can choose from an array of non-chemical and chemical methods (pesticides) to eliminate or reduce pest problems. Cultural practices, mechanical barriers, and the use of biological controls are safe and effective ways for people to manage pests in their gardens. Ideally, the use of pesticides should be considered only as a last resort and the use of pesticides should only be to augment non-chemical pest management practices.

Integrated pest management (IPM) is the use of all suitable pest control methods in a compatible manner that minimizes adverse effects to the environment. A combination of several control methods is usually more effective in minimizing pest damage than any single control method. Control methods vary in their effectiveness, depending on differences in plant growth and productivity, pest damage, weather conditions, and cultural practices.

Principles of Integrated Pest Management
(by Mary Louise Flint, Director, IPM education and Publications,
Statewide IPM Project and IPM Specialist
Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis)

The University of California encourages gardeners to manage pests using an ecologically-based strategy called integrated pest management (IPM).

With IPM, gardeners are encouraged to select methods that provide long-term prevention or suppression of pest problems with minimum impact on human health, the environment, and non-target organisms.

In IPM programs, we prevent pest damage or keep pests at tolerable levels by using our knowledge about the pests and what encourages or discourages them in the garden.

Principal components of an IPM program include:

 Pest identification
Methods for detecting, monitoring and predicting pest outbreaks
Knowledge of the biology of pests and their ecological interactions with hosts, natural enemies and competitors
Ecologically sound management methods of preventing or controlling pests

Preferred management techniques in an IPM program include:

 Encouraging naturally-occurring biological controls
Using alternate plant species or varieties that resist pests or stock that is certified pest-free
Selecting pesticides with lower toxicity to humans and non-target organisms
Adopting cultivation, pruning, fertilization,or irrigation practices that reduce pest problems
Changing the habitat to make it incompatible with pest development

Pesticides are used only as a last resort...
When careful monitoring indicates they are needed, according to pre-established guidelines. In garden situations, many homeowners may choose not to use highly- or moderately-toxic pesticides. When treatments are necessary, the least toxic and most target-specific pesticides are chosen. Integrated pest management programs can be carried out in most gardens with almost no use of pesticides that are more toxic than soaps, horticultural oils, or microbials. A central concept in IPM is that of integrating several control methods, such as resistant varieties, cultural practices, biological controls, and the least toxic pesticides for long-term management of pests.

Link(s) to additional information about IPM:

University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project
 
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UCCE Master Gardeners of Orange County
University of California, Cooperative Extension
 

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