Integrated Pest Management

Now let's talk a little about pest controls. It’s helpful to think of pest control as a series of logical steps.

You may have heard of IPM, or Integrated Pest Management. This is a philosophy in which pests are managed, not wiped out. It involves a number of different approaches to pest control -- as opposed to automatically reaching for the spray can as soon as a pest is encountered. IPM can be broken down into three steps: prevention, monitoring, and controls.

Prevention
From the start, follow basic guidelines for cultural practices that maximize plant health and minimize the likelihood of pest outbreaks.

Monitoring
Before you even think about controlling a pest, you need to determine whether control is really necessary. Are there just a few spots on the leaves of a plant you'll be harvesting in a week or two? Control may not be warranted.

Controls
If control is warranted, use the least invasive control first.

1. Sometimes you can use barriers to exclude pests. For example, row covers can be used to exclude cabbage loopers, copper strips form a barrier to slugs and snails, and bird netting protects ripening fruit.

2. Repellents can sometimes deter pests from attacking your plants. For example, human hair, predator urines, soap, and various sprays are used to deter deer. And cayenne pepper extracts have shown promise in deterring pests.

3. Hand-picking can keep certain insects populations in check. Learn to recognize pests' eggs and larvae and destroy them. You can use a spray of water from the hose to dislodge pests such as aphids from sturdy plants.

4. Trapping can sometimes be an effective, non-toxic way to control pests. For example, slug traps can significantly reduce their numbers. Two cautions: be wary of poisonous slug and ant baits and avoid using traps that lure insects, especially Japanese beetle traps. These can sometimes draw even more of the insects into your yard.