Integrated Pest Management: Killing Bugs without Killing Yourself

Bugs abound.

With all the rains we have had this winter, we can look forward to a spring and summer full of bugs. The temptation is to kill everything that creeps, crawls, or flies to protect ourselves, our pets, and our plants. That would be a mistake, however, as only five percent of bugs are harmful. The rest are either neutral or are actually beneficial. We need these bugs to keep the bad bugs in check. How do we protect ourselves and our plants without killing the good bugs? By using Integrated Pest Management.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

is a systems approach to pest control that combines preventative techniques, non-chemical pest control methods, and the wise use of pesticides with preference for products that are least harmful to human health and the environment. The three pillars of IPM are cultural controls, biological controls, and chemical controls. I will discuss each of them and mention their benefits.

Cultural controls

are the things you do when choosing and planting your plants that help the plant get a good start. This makes it more able to resist bugs and diseases. One of the most important things here is to choose plants that are resistant to the diseases that are common in this area. Texas SuperStar ®plants and EarthKind Roses ® are tested and proven resistant to disease and tolerant of the growing conditions in our area. Lists of these plants are available at the office of the Texas Cooperative Extension Service, and many are shown in the Heritage Garden of Hunt County, next door to the Extension Office.

Check for pests.

In addition to choosing the right plant for your area, you need to make sure that anything you bring home is pest free. You also need to use pest free propagating material. Buy potting soil instead of using yard dirt to pot your indoor plants. Make sure manure is properly composted so that weeds and diseases are killed. You don’t want to introduce problems here, or they will haunt you throughout the growing season.

Prepare the site properly.

Do a soil sample so that you know what nutrients your soil has and what you need to add. Add lots of organic matter and till it into your soil well. Make sure that you only add the nutrients your soil lacks, instead of using a fertilizer with everything in it. Our soils are mostly high in Phosphorus, so don’t add that unless you need it. Follow label directions for the fertilizers you use and be careful watering so you don’t over water or under water. Established plants need an inch of water a week, and that should be delivered early in the morning all at once. Vegetables need more because they are growing so rapidly.

Biological controls

Once you have planted your plants, you need to keep them healthy. Biological controls will help you with that. Basically, this involves saving the good insects so they can eat the bad insects. For example, lady bugs will eat aphids. If you spray a pesticide on your plants, you will kill both the aphids and the lady bugs. Next time you have aphids, they will do a lot more damage because there will be no lady bugs to eat them. So, you need to encourage pest predators, not kill them. In some cases, you can use a predator such as Bacillus t. bacteria to kill your caterpillars and other trouble makers.

Bugs still around?

What happens if you have done everything you are supposed to and you still have bugs eating your plants? You use pesticides wisely to kill the pest but not everything else. First, however, you have to decide at what point you will use pesticides and at what point you will just live with a few bugs. For example, back to those aphids. If there are not at least a few aphids, the lady bugs won’t have anything to eat, so they won’t stick around. If there are too many aphids, they will damage the plants and possibly kill them. Somewhere between leaving enough aphids for the lady bugs and keeping them from killing your plants is the threshold for using chemicals. This threshold may vary by pest and by type of plants.

Spot spray plants.

Just because the threshold for using chemicals has passed for one pest or plant doesn’t mean you should spray your whole yard. That will undo all the hard work you have done encouraging biological controls for your pests. Instead, pick a pesticide that is targeted for the particular pest you are having problems with, making sure that you choose the least toxic pesticide that will kill that pest. Spray only the plants where that pest is a problem, leaving the other plants unsprayed. Continue monitoring those plants and others to see what level of pests you have, and whether they have passed your threshold and you need to spray.

Use pesticides with caution.

When you do use pesticides, be sure to obey all the safety cautions. Remember that the label is the law. If you use a pesticide in a way inconsistent with the label, it is likely the pesticide won’t work properly. In addition, if you cause damage due to improperly using a pesticide, you will get fined and may face criminal charges, depending on the severity of the damage.

Read the label.

Each label has mixing directions for the pesticide, a list of the plants and pests the pesticide is approved for, a list of the safety equipment you need to wear while using the pesticide, and the re-entry period for the pesticide. If a use is not listed for the pesticide you are looking at, don’t use it for that purpose. For example, there are many pesticides that are not safe to use on vegetables because you will eat them.

Obey the re-entry period.

The re-entry period is how long you need to avoid the area after spraying. It can range from minutes to up to 72 hours. Make sure that not only do the humans in your family obey the re-entry period, but your pets do as well. Do not let your dog or cat walk where you have just sprayed until the re-entry period has passed, or they can become ill or die.

Control spread of pesticide.

Finally, control drift and watch for runoff or ground water contamination. If you spray a pesticide, and it drifts over and kills your neighbors honey bees, you will be libel for fines and damages. Spray in the early morning or late afternoon when winds are low and pay attention to what you are doing. Don’t spray right before a rain, because the rain will wash the spray into the sewers and it will contaminate the ground water. Make sure the you never poor pesticides down the sewer, and that you dispose of them safely so they won’t contaminate the landfill.

Be environmentally friendly.

Integrated Pest Management is an opportunity to control the pests in your yard in a more environmental friendly manner. In addition, it saves you money by reducing the need for expensive fertilizers and pesticides. Finally, it helps protect your family and pets from excessive pesticide exposure. You get to enjoy your plants and the bees, butterflies, and birds they attract while feeling good about your contributions to a healthier environment.

For more help gardening, buy my book, Preparing A Vegetable Garden From The Ground Up
Available in print or ebook from Amazon.com or other retailers, this book walks you from choosing the site of your garden all the way through what to do after the harvest. Buy a copy for yourself or a friend today!