Green Pest Management
Encyclopedia
Green pest management is a pest control strategy that sets pest action thresholds, monitors pest levels, takes steps to prevent pest problems and uses control methods that are organic (plant based) materials or materials of natural origin. Green pest management is an extension of integrated pest management and is similar in all regards except for the control methods. While both integrated pest management and green pest management choose the least risky pest control material, green pest management uses organic (plant based) materials or materials of natural origin.
(IPM). Pest management occurs in three primary arenas, first, the agricultural arena, second, the urban or structural arena and third the turf and ornamental arena. Green Pest Management programs and service providers can be focused on agricultural, structural, turf and ornamental pest control
. A GPM service plan follows the foundations of an IPM service plan with the exception of the type of pesticide applied when necessary according to the IPM or GPM plan. GPM service providers (pest control applicators or pest control technicians) use naturally occurring and low risk materials as the primary pest control material instead of a synthetic pesticide when a pesticide
is called for as part of an integrated pest management or IPM plan. These may or may not include materials listed on the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) Pest management at an agricultural setting would include a farm or garden. Pest management at an urban or structural site includes residences, either single or multi-family, apartment houses and condominiums, hospitality such as restaurants and hotels, all types of food processing and manufacturing, warehousing, and industrial sites. Turf and ornamental pest control occurs at recreational sites, such as a lawn, park, playing field or playground, and may include plants for human or animal consumption or plants for utility, such as playing turf, or decorative use, such as a rose garden.
and organic
are regulated terms within the pest control industry.
The government has regulation on exempt products. Exempt products comprise only materials that are on the EPA's exempt list. These materials may include materials listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) as biopesticides. Biopesticide
s or biological pesticides are materials of natural origin or certain minerals.
, herbicide
and insecticide
. Green Pest Management usually deals with insecticides and herbicides. For Green Pest Management the preferred materials are of natural origin. Materials of natural origin may be either organic, such as plant oils, or inorganic, such as boric acid
. Not every material of natural origin would be preferred. It must also be low risk. Some plant oils used include Rosemary, Wintergreen, Eugenol (Clove Oil) and other oils. They act as insecticides at some concentrations and as non selective herbicides at other, higher concentrations.
These low risk materials are often known as exempt or minimum risk pesticides or "25b products." The term 25b refers to the section 25b of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
or FIFRA. Due to the nature of the active and inert ingredients in the pesticide these materials are exempt from registration.
Other biological controls include use of biological pest control
, the use of natural mechanisms in primarily agricultural or home lawn and garden pest control. Examples include bacteria, bacillus thuringiensis
, or nematodes for example, for control of grubs, such as Oriental Beetle grubs or and in the case of bacillus thuringiensis, for control of mosquitoes.
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! Examples of Materials of Natural Origin
|-
| 1.0 Plant Oils
|-
| 1.1 Rosemary
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| 1.2 Wintergreen
|-
| 1.3 Eugenol (Clove Oil)
|-
| 2.0 Inorganic Materials
|-
| 2.1 Boric Acid
|-
| 2.2 Diatomaceous Earth (Freshwater & Salt Water)
|}
(linked) , are two examples of Juvenile hormone
Analogs or JHA's. These are chemical materials, so are not usually appropriate for organic pest management strategies. However, given the low mammalian toxicity of the JHA's, they may be appropriate for low impact structural pest management as part of a complete IPM approach.
to businesses that provide green pest management services, to sites that use green pest management or to the manufacturers of materials used to control pests. The most widely used product list for materials acceptable to be used on operations that are certified organic under the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) National Organic Program
(NOP) is the aforementioned Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). Regional organic farming associations are resources for accredited providers. An example would be the Northeast Organic Farming Association's
Certified Organic Landcare or Organic Dairy Program. Other examples include certification or registration through industry associations or private certification or accreditation service providers. For structural pest control this would include industry examples such as the National Pest Management Association's (NPMA) GreenPro Accreditation or private certification resources such as GreenShield Certification.
Overview
Green pest management (GPM) is the natural extension of integrated pest managementIntegrated Pest Management
Integrated pest management is an ecological approach to agricultural pest control that integrates pesticides/herbicides into a management system incorporating a range of practices for economic control of a pest...
(IPM). Pest management occurs in three primary arenas, first, the agricultural arena, second, the urban or structural arena and third the turf and ornamental arena. Green Pest Management programs and service providers can be focused on agricultural, structural, turf and ornamental pest control
Pest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
. A GPM service plan follows the foundations of an IPM service plan with the exception of the type of pesticide applied when necessary according to the IPM or GPM plan. GPM service providers (pest control applicators or pest control technicians) use naturally occurring and low risk materials as the primary pest control material instead of a synthetic pesticide when a pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
is called for as part of an integrated pest management or IPM plan. These may or may not include materials listed on the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) Pest management at an agricultural setting would include a farm or garden. Pest management at an urban or structural site includes residences, either single or multi-family, apartment houses and condominiums, hospitality such as restaurants and hotels, all types of food processing and manufacturing, warehousing, and industrial sites. Turf and ornamental pest control occurs at recreational sites, such as a lawn, park, playing field or playground, and may include plants for human or animal consumption or plants for utility, such as playing turf, or decorative use, such as a rose garden.
Government regulation
Currently there are no regulations on the use of the term "Green Pest Control". Indeed, any pest control company could advertise a "Green Pest Control Service". Efforts to move toward a standard are being made by the pest control industry. Consumer should beware that the term green pest control is still too vague to carry much weight. The terms environmentally friendlyEnvironmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
and organic
Organic certification
Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, [food] processors, retailers and restaurants.Requirements vary...
are regulated terms within the pest control industry.
The government has regulation on exempt products. Exempt products comprise only materials that are on the EPA's exempt list. These materials may include materials listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) as biopesticides. Biopesticide
Biopesticide
Biopesticides include "naturally occurring substances that control pests , microorganisms that control pests , and pesticidal substances produced by plants containing added genetic material or PIPs."Biopesticides are biochemical pesticides that are naturally occurring substances that control pests...
s or biological pesticides are materials of natural origin or certain minerals.
Pesticides
Pesticides are used to control pests, some examples are avicideAvicide
An avicide is any substance which can be used to kill birds.Commonly used avicides include strychnine, DRC-1339 and CPTH , and Avitrol . Chloralose is also used as an avicide...
, herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
and insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
. Green Pest Management usually deals with insecticides and herbicides. For Green Pest Management the preferred materials are of natural origin. Materials of natural origin may be either organic, such as plant oils, or inorganic, such as boric acid
Boric acid
Boric acid, also called hydrogen borate or boracic acid or orthoboric acid or acidum boricum, is a weak acid of boron often used as an antiseptic, insecticide, flame retardant, as a neutron absorber, and as a precursor of other chemical compounds. It exists in the form of colorless crystals or a...
. Not every material of natural origin would be preferred. It must also be low risk. Some plant oils used include Rosemary, Wintergreen, Eugenol (Clove Oil) and other oils. They act as insecticides at some concentrations and as non selective herbicides at other, higher concentrations.
These low risk materials are often known as exempt or minimum risk pesticides or "25b products." The term 25b refers to the section 25b of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act , et seq. is a United States federal law that set up the basic U.S. system of pesticide regulation to protect applicators, consumers, and the environment. It is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and the appropriate...
or FIFRA. Due to the nature of the active and inert ingredients in the pesticide these materials are exempt from registration.
Other biological controls include use of biological pest control
Biological pest control
Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...
, the use of natural mechanisms in primarily agricultural or home lawn and garden pest control. Examples include bacteria, bacillus thuringiensis
Bacillus thuringiensis
Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a biological pesticide; alternatively, the Cry toxin may be extracted and used as a pesticide. B...
, or nematodes for example, for control of grubs, such as Oriental Beetle grubs or and in the case of bacillus thuringiensis, for control of mosquitoes.
-
-
- {| class="wikitable"
-
|-
! Examples of Materials of Natural Origin
|-
| 1.0 Plant Oils
|-
| 1.1 Rosemary
|-
| 1.2 Wintergreen
|-
| 1.3 Eugenol (Clove Oil)
|-
| 2.0 Inorganic Materials
|-
| 2.1 Boric Acid
|-
| 2.2 Diatomaceous Earth (Freshwater & Salt Water)
|}
Low impact pest management
Green pest management does not include traditional chemical materials. However, recent advances in chemistry have yielded materials that have extremely low mammalian toxicity. Some key materials that are used that are chemicals not of natural origin, include insect growth regulators (IGR's). IGR's have action that is usually specific to insects, or that would effect insects primarily. Hydroprene or MethopreneMethoprene
Methoprene is a juvenile hormone analog which can be used as an insecticide that acts as a growth regulator. Methoprene is an amber-colored liquid with a faint fruity odor which is essentially nontoxic to humans when ingested or inhaled. It is used in drinking water cisterns to control mosquitoes...
(linked) , are two examples of Juvenile hormone
Juvenile hormone
Juvenile hormones are a group of acyclic sesquiterpenoids that regulate many aspects of insect physiology. JHs regulate development, reproduction, diapause, and polyphenisms....
Analogs or JHA's. These are chemical materials, so are not usually appropriate for organic pest management strategies. However, given the low mammalian toxicity of the JHA's, they may be appropriate for low impact structural pest management as part of a complete IPM approach.
Certification and accreditations
There are services available to certify or offer accreditationAccreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
to businesses that provide green pest management services, to sites that use green pest management or to the manufacturers of materials used to control pests. The most widely used product list for materials acceptable to be used on operations that are certified organic under the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
(USDA) National Organic Program
National Organic Program
In the United States, the National Organic Program is the federal regulatory framework governing organic food. It is also the name of the organization in the Department of Agriculture responsible for administering and enforcing the regulatory framework. The Organic Food Production Act of 1990 In...
(NOP) is the aforementioned Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). Regional organic farming associations are resources for accredited providers. An example would be the Northeast Organic Farming Association's
Northeast Organic Farming Association
The Northeast Organic Farming Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that promotes healthy food, organic farming practices, and a clean environment...
Certified Organic Landcare or Organic Dairy Program. Other examples include certification or registration through industry associations or private certification or accreditation service providers. For structural pest control this would include industry examples such as the National Pest Management Association's (NPMA) GreenPro Accreditation or private certification resources such as GreenShield Certification.
External links
- Green Pest Control
- http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/whatarebiopesticides.htm