By April Reese
University of Georgia
Volume XXVIII
|
Improperly applied gardening chemicals may run off landscapes
and pollute water.
In some cases, gardening runoff has killed fish.
“The National Academy of Sciences reported that homeowners
tend to use as much
as 10 times more chemicals per acre (in and around their
homes) than farmers
use on their land,” said Susan Varlamoff. She’s an
environmental sciences program
coordinator with the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.
“Our urban streams contain more pesticides, and at generally
higher concentrations,
than rural ones,” she said.
Varlamoff said integrated pest management, or IPM, focuses
on using cultural,
mechanical and biological control methods in place of chemical
pesticides in
home landscapes.
Is it really a pest?
“Most people don’t realize that only 3 percent of insects are
pests,” said
Varlamoff, who is also a Georgia Master Gardener.
“It’s important to know the difference between beneficial
insects, which control
pests naturally, and insects that devour your roses,” she
said.
Best method, least toxic
Once they identify the pest, gardeners who practice IPM use
the best and least
toxic combination of controls.
Cultural
- Use plants suited for local rainfall, sun exposure,
temperature, etc. Choose
pest-resistant plants as often as you can. - Choose a turf variety well-suited to your soils and
climate. This makes
the grass more competitive with weeds. - Rotate vegetable and annual plants to avoid reoccurring
pest problems such
as root-knot nematodes. - Till soils to destroy pests and crop residue that may
harbor pests. - Plant vegetables early in the growing season to avoid
damaging levels of
pests that may occur later.
Mechanical
- Hand-destroy insect pests or hand-remove weeds if the pest
density and number
aren’t excessive. - Prune or cut out diseased or insect-infested plants or
plant parts. This
can be used to control cankers, stem galls and boring
insects. - Mow grass so you remove no more than one-third of the
height. Scalping
grass stresses it, dries it out and promotes insect pests
such as chinch bugs. - Mulch vegetable gardens and ornamental plants with 3 to 5
inches of compost,
pine bark or and pine needles. This reduces weeds and the
need for herbicides
and prevents soil erosion. Mulch can be made from homemade
compost. - Direct water sprays at infested plants to reduce aphids,
lacebugs and other
insect pests on plants.
Biological
Parasites and predators in landscapes attack and kill insect
pests. It’s important
to conserve and enhance naturally occurring biological control
agents in the
landscape and vegetable garden.
- Don’t kill the good bugs. Before you grab the pesticide,
learn the difference
between beneficial insects and pests. In a well-balanced
ecosystem, the good
guys beat out the bad. - Plant a variety of flowering annuals or perennials to
provide more nectar
sources and alternative prey for predators and
parasites. - Create landscape habitats that attract birds and other
wildlife that prey
on insect pests. For more information, contact the Georgia
Wildlife Federation
or visit www.gwf.org/education.htm
.
Chemical
You may not always be able to control pests without using
conventional chemicals.
“Pesticides are often an important component of an IPM
program,” Varlamoff
said. “But you can harm people, pets and your environment if
you use them irresponsibly.
Like medicine, pesticides can have tremendous benefits, but
misuse can have
serious consequences.”
- Read the label. Select a pesticide based on the target
pest, the plants
you want to protect, the application equipment you have and
the pesticide
hazards. - Use the least toxic control for the pest. Pesticides also
include horticultural
oils and insecticidal soaps that are less toxic than
conventional pesticides.
They can effectively manage certain insects. - Apply pesticides only to the intended area. Blanket
coverage may destroy
beneficial insects as well as pests.
“No single herbicide, insecticide or fungicide is appropriate
for all landscape
and vegetable pest problems,” Varlamoff said.
For more information, see the Georgia Pest Control Handbook
(www.ent.uga.edu/pest2001/
)
or Extension Toxicology Network at: (ace.orst.edu/info/extox
net/).
