Can Integrated Pest Management help maintain home lawns and reduce risk from pesticide exposure?
Yes. EPA developed an integrated pest management plan (IPM) that involves minimal pesticide use and will enable homeowners to have healthy, attractive lawns. In properly maintained lawns the thick healthy turf will crowd out most weed species and will not be severely affected by most common outdoor insects. If the lawn is cut at the proper height, watered and fertilized properly, the incidence of fungus diseases will be lessened. The homeowner has a number of pest resistant grass varieties and alternative low maintenance ground cover plants to choose from and can avoid the intense management practices that are often used to control pest damage on ornamental turf. If pest problems identified by careful monitoring lead to deterioration of the turf quality, renovation to promote healthy turf may be the wisest, most economical choice for the long term application. Lesser problems may be solved by use of chemicals on a short term or spot treatment basis with better cultural practices as a f
