The City of Irvine has an Integrated Pest Management Plan – What does that mean to me?

 

The state law is clear. The City of Irvine's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy does not affect the use of pesticides on a private property, including home owners associations (HOA). Only properties managed by the City a covered by this policy. Some HOAs have voluntarily agreed to follow the same IPM plan as the City and some have even taken it a step further by stipulating that the HOA will not use any synthetic pesticides (including herbicides) or fertilizer on HOA managed property.

 

Nevertheless, just because you can, does not always mean that you should and people using pesticides on their own property should use them with caution. Pesticides spray can drift onto non-target areas and granules and spray residue on hard surfaces can be carried away by rain or irrigation runoff. Pesticides are often used in reaction to an immediate problem that could have been anticipated and managed through the use of another method, such as using mulch for suppressing weeds in landscape beds. If you do choose to use a pesticide, the best choices are those that have least impact on human and environmental health and only affect the pest that you want to control.

 

All pesticides, even those advertised as being organic, are toxic at a high enough concentration and exposure. Before using a pesticide, check to see if there is another way you can control the problem. For weeds, consider using a trimmer for edging, overseeding a lawn, hand-pulling, and using mulch in landscape beds. For insects and plant diseases, trimming off stems, washing off plants, changing the e method and amount of irrigation can reduce the impact of those problems.

 

For help in managing pests in and around your home, see the UC IPM web site about home and garden pests or contact the UCCE Master Gardeners Orange County .

 

We are all a buzz here at South Coast REC. Why? Well, tomorrow is National Honey Bee Day. Read more from Stephanie Parreira:

August 19^th is National Honey Bee Day: Dr. Elina Niño reminds us to help honey bees cope with pests

—Stephanie Parreira, UC Statewide IPM Program

 

National Honey Bee Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of every August. This year it falls on Saturday the 19^th. If you use integrated pest management, or IPM, you are probably aware that it can solve pest problems and reduce the use of pesticides that harm beneficial insects, including honey bees. But did you know that it is also used to manage pests that live inside honey bee colonies? In this timely podcast below, Dr. Elina Niño, UCCE apiculture extension specialist, discusses the most serious pests of honey bees, how beekeepers manage them to keep their colonies alive, and what you can do to help bees survive these challenges.

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/ucipm/help-honey-bees-cope-with-pests

To read the full transcript of the audio, click here.

 

Successful IPM in honey bee colonies involves understanding honey bee pest biology, regularly monitoring for pests, and using a combination of different methods to control their damage. Visit these resources for more information:

 

For Beekeepers:

The California Master Beekeeper Program

EL Niño Bee Lab Courses

EL Niño Bee Lab Newsletter

 

For All Bee Lovers:

EL Niño Bee Lab Newsletter

Haagen Dazs Honey Bee Haven plant list

UC IPM Bee Precaution Pesticide Ratings and video tutorial

 

 

Sources for the Value of Honey Bees:

Calderone N. 2012. Insect-pollinated crops, Insect Pollinators and US Agriculture: Trend Analysis of Aggregate Data for the Period 1992–2009.

 

Flottum K. 2017. U.S. Honey Industry Report, 2016.

Drone Technology and Regulations for Natural Resources