IPM Manual for Home and Garden Pests in British Columbia
Preface
Why This Manual was Prepared
This manual was prepared to help train people who sell pesticides to domestic pesticide users. Domestic users are people who buy pesticides for use in their own yards, gardens and homes. They often do not know how to identify and manage pests or how to mix and apply pesticides. Therefore, the emphasis in this manual is on providing dispensers with information they need to advise customers on how to manage pests as well as on safe pesticide use.
This manual is also intended to be used as a reference book for home and garden pest management. It should serve as a guide for both dispensers and customers. Vendor outlets are encouraged to display this manual in a handy location so that customers can use it as a reference. Users of domestic pest management products may find it useful to obtain their own copy.
The approach to managing pests being promoted by the BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks is called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM programs are based, first and foremost, on preventing pest problems; controls are only used when inspections show that a pest problem has reached a point that requires treatment. When controls are needed, first consideration is given to non-pesticidal controls and then to low-toxicity pesticides that give domestic users good results. IPM programs protect peoples’ health and the environment by minimizing the use of pesticides.
This manual describes the IPM principles as they apply in a practical way to pest problems found in homes and gardens. It also discusses general pesticide terminology; the importance of pesticide labels; safe procedures for storage, transport, mixing, application and clean-up; environmental protection issues; and application equipment. In addition there are reference sections that list the characteristics of commonly used domestic pesticides and recommendations on how to manage the most common pests in homes and gardens in BC. The commonly used pesticides and the common BC pests were selected for inclusion in this manual based on a questionnaire sent to BC pesticide vendors.
The information contained in this manual is a large departure from previous dispenser training and will be new to many dispensers and their customers. At this time, only the most progressive vendor outlets may stock the full range of pest management products and recommended pesticides described. Informing the public about how to get good results managing pests, while using methods that protect their health and the environment, will need to be an ongoing process. For many people, that process will start with their exposure to the information in this manual. It will then take time to adopt a new way of thinking about dealing with pests, to educate customers and to make changes in inventories.
This manual is now included in the study package for the certification of dispensers selling Domestic class pesticides in BC. It adds a large IPM component to the training, which will be tested on the certification examination. Candidates studying for dispenser certification will be expected to
have a good understanding of the information in this manual. However, for people who specialize in pest management, this manual should really be seen as a starting point. In particular, pest managers should have as much knowledge as possible about the biology of pests and should keep informed about advances in management methods. Some references are included at the end of the manual for further information.
We hope that we have included the most useful pest management and pesticide information in this manual. However, this is the first attempt at a manual specifically for home and garden pest management in BC, so there may be unforeseen omissions and errors. We would appreciate receiving comments that will help us improve future editions of this manual.
How the Manual is Organized
This manual is divided into three main sections.
Section I — IPM and Pesticide Safety
Section 1 includes chapters 1 to 6. This section describes Integrated Pest Management methods as they apply to managing pests around homes and yards. Preventive strategies and the range of controls methods are reviewed. There are also chapters on pesticide characteristics, laws regulating pesticide use, guidelines for safe use, including storage, handling, mixing, applying, and disposing of Domestic class pesticides.
Section II — Common Domestic Pesticides
Section 2 includes chapters 7 to 10. This section contains chapters on insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and other pesticides commonly used around homes and gardens. The basic chemical properties are described along with notes on safety and handling, precautions and environmental impact information.
Section III — Common Home and Garden Pests
Section 3 includes chapters 11 to 15. This section contains entries on common insect pests, weeds, plant diseases, and animal pests in BC yards and gardens. Each entry describes the pest and summarizes the information on life cycle and biology that would be important in managing a pest problem. Preventive methods and least-toxic alternatives for dealing with each pest are described first, followed by methods of last resort for extreme situations.
To Help You Study
Each chapter has learning objectives at the beginning and study questions at the end. The learning objectives are there to guide the learning, and the study questions are meant for review. A glossary of terms is included at the end of the manual to define technical words used in the text.
|
