Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a responsible, effective, and environmentally friendly way to manage insects in your garden. To understand how IPM works compared to using chemical pesticides, think about the comparison of an antibiotic on the human body.
Antibiotics are commonly taken in order to kill a bacterial infection or illness within the human body. But did you know that there is no such thing as a “smart” antibiotic? They kill all of the good bacteria in your body along with the bad. This is why, when you take antibiotics, you may experience a secondary infection, or nasty side effects such as digestive ailments. A chemical pesticide is essentially an antibiotic in your garden. It will kill off the nasty pest that you want to get rid of, but it will kill all of the beneficial insects, too, therefore upsetting the natural balance of your garden.
Why do people use IPM?
Because antibiotics upset the natural balance of the body, many people instead opt to treat bacterial infections with homeopathic remedies and probiotics, which encourage the growth of positive bacteria. This is the equivalent to using IPM in your garden. It will take a bit more time and patience, but in the long run you will be creating an environmentally friendly way to manage bugs in your garden instead of wiping them all out with one nasty chemical. Broadcast spraying of a pesticide, whether it is natural or chemical, is an absolute last resort when using IPM. Therefore, IPM is successfully used by many organic farmers.
How do I practice IPM?
There is not just one quick step when it comes to beginning IPM. Practicing IPM is instead a process or a system that is made up of 4 main steps. You can think of these steps as an investment in your health, your garden’s health, and the health of the environment. In other words, the time it takes is totally worth it! The 4 steps of Integrated Pest Management are:
(1) Set an Action Threshold
 Setting an action threshold means that you will have a predetermined point at which you will take action against the pests in your garden. Just because you spot one bug munching away at your tomato plants does not mean you need to control these pests. Your action threshold may be that if you see one or two aphids, you simply pluck it off with a gloved hand. If you see three to ten aphids, you will spray them with Safer 3-in-1 garden Spray, an organic insecticide that’s made from sulfur and plant oils. If you see eleven or more aphids, you will purchase and release ladybugs in your garden so that they will eat the aphids. |
(2) Monitor and Identify Pests
 Not all bugs are bad! Insects such as green lacewings, ladybugs, praying mantis, and spined soldier bugs are all beneficial for your garden because they eat harmful bugs. Other bugs may not necessarily be beneficial, but they may just be hanging out and not hurting anything. If you see a bug, don’t just assume that it’s bad.
If you do have a swarm of harmful insects, make sure to properly identify them so that you can determine the best course of action to get rid of them. Remember, you don’t want to use something that will wipe out everything in your garden- you specifically want to treat the problem. Spraying isolated areas is used only when truly necessary in IPM. |
(3) Prevent
 As we like to say, “prevention is better than an ounce of Roundup.” The very first line of pest control in IPM is prevention. It is important to work to prevent pests from becoming a problem in the first place. This may mean using agricultural methods such as crop rotation. For example, a recent infestation of rice pests in Thailand called brown plant hoppers was exacerbated because farmers planted continuously in the same fields.
Another integral part of prevention is maintaining healthy soil and watering practices. Check out Annie Haven’s Compost Tea, which is a totally natural way to nourish your soil, therefore increasing flower bloom and crop yield. Adding nutrients from manure tea is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your indoor and outdoor plants. The tea naturally breaks down the soil, which allows your plants root systems to more readily absorb needed nutrients and strengthen their own defense systems. (It’s kind of like the effect of green tea on the human body- super nutritious!) |
(4) Control
 Once your action threshold has indicated that action is required, you will need to determine what type of pest control you wish to employ. It is a very important part of IPM that you use the least risky and least invasive method of control possible. For example, trapping may be a good solution, or using pheromones to disrupt mating patterns.
If you have fruit flies buzzing around your indoor potted plants, veggies from your garden, or the produce you bought yesterday at the farmer’s market, try using a Glass Fruit Fly Trap in your home. The trap uses an environmentally safe bait to lure in the fruit flies, and you can hang it anywhere in your house because it just looks like a pretty, colorful glass lantern. For an awesome natural and biodegradable insecticide, fungicide, and insect anti-feedant, try Dyna-Gro Neem Oil. It can be applied to indoor or outdoor plants, and will not harm beneficial insects such as ladybugs, bees, and spiders. |
Appliances such as your coffee maker can continue to draw up to 25% off their electricity usage when they are switched off. To kill this extra energy consumption, make sure to unplug appliances when they are not in use. In the winter, this definitely goes for your space heater, as well as your electric tea kettle.
Try to keep your thermostat under 68 degrees. Each degree set below 68°F (20°C) during colder weather uses 3 to 5 percent less heating energy than each degree set above 68°F. How can you keep your house warm without cranking up the heat? Change out your breezy linen curtains for heavier draperies, and make sure to seal up all the cracks around your doors and windows. It will also help to make sure your attic is well insulated. Hot air rises, and cold air drops, so if the space above you isn’t well insulated, this cold is descending right down on you.
Here is some good news: exercising outdoors, even in freezing weather, is really good for you. In fact, studies show that moderate exercisers get 20 to 30 percent fewer colds than non-exercisers do. The idea that being out in the cold can make you sick is really just a myth. (You actually are more likely to get sick indoors, around other people who are ill.) All you need to exercise outdoors in the winter is a little bit of preparation and proper planning. Don’t forget to stay motivated- there’s no need to hit the couch when it’s cold out!
The most common places to get frostbite are on your face, fingers, and toes. Early warning signs include paleness, numbness, loss of feeling, and/or a stinging sensation. If you suspect that you have frostbite, get out of the cold as quickly as possible. Slowly and gently warm the affected area, but avoid rubbing it. If numbness persists, you will need to seek emergency care.
