Introduction

Introducing Integrated Pest Management in a landscape maintenance operation is a bold move.
- It requires more technical knowledge;
- It requires support from the customers;
- It requires different equipment and a switch from long-residual to short-residual pesticides.

However, using Integrated Pest Management offers rewards.
- The satisfaction of doing quality work;
- Delivering better results;
- The ability to target the high-quality, high-money market.

Pest management is about preventing or solving pest problems, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is one effective method to tackle pest problems in a landscape setting.

For an IPM program to be successful, there must be a solid commitment from the company to make it work, and the program must be results-oriented for the customer to support it.

The costs associated with IPM

The company must develop a start-up program

Using traditional pest management means spraying the plants and hoping it will work.  Using Integrated Pest Management requires more technical knowledge and the ability to evaluate results.

Each company going to implement IPM must first establish the type of program it will offer.

   - Start small;
Initiate the program for a few, selected customers to test the procedures, then expand to more customers when the process is understood.

   - Have a landscape plan for each site;
An inventory of plants found on each site should be part of the client’s file to identify the ones more prone to serious pest problems.

   - Prepare a calendar of seasonal pest problems;
Pests that kill or seriously affect the appearance of plants must be known in advance to allow good timing of pest management activities.

   - Offer training to the employees;
They must be able to identify the plants they see and understand how the company will approach different pest problems.

The company must invest in new equipment

Traditional pest management requires one large spray tank mounted on a truck, and an invoice book.  Using Integrated Pest Management requires more spraying flexibility and the ability to treat problems in a timely fashion.

Companies using IPM must switch rapidly from one pesticide to another.

   - Have smaller spray tanks;
Spray companies should have two or three tanks on each truck, whereas maintenance companies should have back-pack sprayers for spot treatments;

   - Carry diagnostic tools;
Hand-held lenses of 16X magnification, a pocket knife, clean and sharp pruning shears all come handy for on-site identification of pests or plant problems;

   - Be on site more often;
Visits should be every three to four weeks to find developing problems, as no program will be successful with visits every six to eight weeks.

The company must plan for longer and more frequent site visits

With traditional pest management, you walk on the site, you spray the plants and leave.  With Integrated Pest Management, the pest problems must first be found and identified to justify a treatment.

Companies using IPM must design an inspection procedure that is rapid and accurate.

   - Be on site longer;
A typical city residential lot can be inspected and treated in 20 to 30 minutes, twice the time needed for traditional “walk-on and spray” pest management.

   - Write a short report;
Customers interested in IPM appreciate receiving information about the work that was performed, what they can do to help, and what future work will be required.

   - Develop the confidence to walk away;
Not all plants need to be treated all the time, and often the best treatment is to walk away and inspect again later.

The company must develop new services

Traditional pest management is about spraying plants.  With Integrated Pest Management, many pest problems are seen as a symptom of a deeper problem that must be addressed for a long-term solution.

Companies using IPM offer extra services to their clients.

   - Switch to low-toxicity pesticides;
Products such as Bacillus thuringiensis or insecticidal soap are less harmful to humans, but are also target specific, are more expensive and have a short residual action.

   - Work on the needs of the plant;
The real problem may be poor irrigation scheduling, a lack of fertilization, or an overgrown plant that needs pruning.

   - Connect with experts in your area;
Diagnosis of unusual problems is a very difficult task, and it helps to have contacts with government or university researchers.

The benefits associated with IPM

Companies using Integrated Pest Management are more successful in their pest management efforts, and they also get other unexpected benefits.

   - The customers are very supportive;
Home owners enjoy an approach they associate to “preventative medicine” and prefer to have the plants unsprayed unless absolutely necessary.

   - The employees are very supportive;
They gain confidence through the training sessions and would rather fertilize a plant than use pesticides.

   - There are fewer “calls”;
The success of an IPM program is measured by a reduction in the number of “calls”, or customers calling back after a visit to say there is still a problem.

   - The pesticide use goes down;
There is often more spraying in the first season to clean-up pest problems, but afterwards the use of pesticides falls to between 30% and 50% of previous use.

   - The company can target the high-money market;
Horticulture knowledge, multiple services and results are attractive to sophisticated customers willing to pay an extra charge.