An effective way to reduce reliance on pesticides is through the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Integrated Pest Management is an approach to planning and managing that includes a variety of methods for reducing pest populations to acceptable levels. A pest is any animal, plant or other organism that is directly or indirectly, noxious, troublesome or can cause injury.

IPM emphasizes pest prevention, the use of reduced risk products, and the application of pesticides only when necessary.

Pest Prevention

There are many simple practices you can use to eliminate the conditions that favour the development of pest problems. Using screens, cleaning up garbage and building fences can go a long way to reducing pest problems around the home.

To prevent pest problems, and minimize the need for pesticides on your lawn, use the practices described in the Healthy Lawns:

• Key Messages
• Tips and fact sheets
• NewsLine

Seasonal reminders about these practices appear every week in the Message of the Week.

Reduced risk products

If preventive and non-toxic approaches to solving a pest problem have been unsuccessful, you may consider using a commercially available pesticide product as a last resort.

For lawn care, it is important to know which of these products can be used and which reduced-risk pesticides are now available for use.

For information about which pesticides are available for lawn care, refer to the section on Lawn care pesticides.

To learn more about reduced-risk products for lawn care, consult the most recent Update on Reduced-Risk Pesticides in Canada. A reduced-risk pesticide is a pesticide that may have a slightly improved risk profile when compared to other registered pesticides with the same use pattern.

Pesticides only when necessary

Before resorting to using a pesticide, first consider all your alternatives.

Consider using physical or mechanical methods like hand weeding, sticky traps, or light traps before resorting to chemical solutions. You may also consider hiring a licensed exterminator or lawn care professional to do the job for you.

To use IPM properly, you first need to correctly identify the pest and understand its life cycle.

Knowing when and how a pest is most susceptible to control measures is important when making decisions on when to take action. Correct timing of a pesticide application is essential for effective control and to ensure the least amount, necessary for control, is used. Refer to the label's directions for use for guidance on the proper timing and recommended rate of application.