Berea College
OP-9: Integrated Pest Management

Chemical use is last resort for pest control. In general, the action threshold for pest populations is set very high and usually based on physical harm to the plant or a disruption to a person’s experience on campus. An example would be an abundance of lace-bugs on azaleas not allowing photosynthesis and causing defoliation, or an unplayable percentage (over 20%) of crabgrass on a collegiate sports field. Plants are constantly monitored for any problems, and upon finding a problem the pest is identified if present. If a pest is determined to be the cause of a problem, and the action threshold level has been exceeded, then chemical use will be considered. In most cases a safer non chemical control option will be tried first and the cycle of monitoring will begin again. If other options have tried and the problem still persists, then chemical use will be considered. If the pest problem persists for multiple years after control another plant will be considered for the site. During plant selection for landscapes, low maintenance and balance are always top priority for designs, along with proper siting of the selected plants. This generally leads to healthier plant material that is more likely to prevent a pest problem. During maintenance of planted landscapes, proper cultural care is scheduled also to decrease the chance of a pest problem.