Proper identification is required to make damn sure that you know what you’re looking at. The Penn State Extension recommends adhering to the following courses of action: identify properly, learn pest life cycles, monitor and sample the environment for pests, establish an action threshold, choose the best combination of tactics, and finally, evaluate the results. The praying mantis is always a welcome addition in any garden to keep undesirable pests away. I tend to be a bit of a “let’s see what happens” kind of guy, but I toss that out the window and approach any pest control issues with a calculated plan. It combines cultural, mechanical, and biological controls into one designated plan of attack. Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a planned, strategic approach to fixing and preventing problems from occurring in the garden or the fields. Instead, we used a plan called Integrated Pest Management. When I attended my training courses to become a certified pesticide applicator, I was happy to learn that throwing chemicals at a problem is the last solution. Instead of jumping into a problem with the intent of spraying it away, take a few moments to positively identify the situation. A praying mantis egg mass can be mistaken for something detrimental. Take the time to properly identify what you’re looking at. This is the equivalent of a carpenter measuring his lumber twice and cutting it once. Professional pest controllers are instructed on the importance of identifying a problem by first monitoring it, then identifying the pest or problem, and finally taking action to control it. If there’s a key step in any pest control scenario, it is to develop the ability to pump your brakes and wait before jumping to conclusions. A swallowtail caterpillar in the vegetable garden. Well, maybe not the beer thing, but you get my point. “What chemical can I throw at this thing to kill it?” or “Give me a beer, some poison, and one hour, and I’ll take care of this thing” seem to be the first questions people ask when facing a dilemma. It’s a shame that when a problem arises in the garden or the yard, the response given all-too-often is a reactionary one. Herbicides can take care of unsightly weeds like dandelions growing in your walkway. People use sprays, dusts, granules, and other compounds to control a population of undesirable creatures. The term “pesticide” is most often associated with something that kills cockroaches and other types of vermin, but “pesticide” is actually a catchall term for any chemical used to kill, limit, deter, and regulate populations or growth of animals, insects, or plants we consider to be pests. We’ve got an entire article for you on what spraying does and how we do it, and the best alternative methods to chemical application. Are the bugs getting to your harvest before you’re able to enjoy it? It may be time to review your tactics! Photo by Matt Suwak.
If we can meet in the middle by practicing safe spraying and chemical applications, we’re off to a good start. I think there’s room for both people out there in the world.Īfter all, two different sides make up a single coin. Don’t tell me what I can and can’t spray! Pesticides and other chemical applications are a viable solution, damn it. On the flipside, there are folks who are ready and eager to toss on a backpack sprayer and spray away dandelions, gout weed, and every last creepy-crawler in a hundred-yard radius. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products.
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