University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
OP-9: Integrated Pest Management

The University’s IPM plan is managed by the Grounds Department within the Facilities Services Division. The acreage actively managed by Grounds is 538 acres, which excludes building footprints, parking lots, and forested areas. The University Forest Manager and a two-person IPM staff work with Grounds crews that are assigned to 16 campus zones. There are over 50 crew members licensed in pesticide application by the NC Pesticide Board and trained to implement the IPM plan.
1. Action Thresholds – Action thresholds are set according to plant and site-specific conditions with the goal of maintaining plant health and campus appearance with minimum hazard to people and environment.
2. Monitor and Identify Pests – Zone crews search for signs of potential threats and take effective measures before the level of pests reaches an action threshold requiring the use of a pesticide. Zone crews search for eggs that can be treated safely before pests arise. Certain insects can be hand-picked off plants, e.g. bag worms. When a pest threat that meets an action threshold is identified, a work request is sent to the IPM staff.
3. Prevention – To the extent possible, the Grounds Department plants species that are resistant to common pests. Plant diseases are controlled by scheduling fertilization and irrigation to prevent spores from germinating, reducing the need for fungicides.
4. Control – The IPM staff uses the least hazardous treatment first. Eggs are treated with low-impact dormant-oil sprays. As a last resort, specific products targeted to specific plants are used. The only broad-spectrum product used, Round-up, is narrowly applied; it is hand-sprayed on walkways only. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is not done.