Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management, also known as IPM, is a process for achieving long-term, environmentally sound pest suppression through a wide variety of tactics. Control strategies in an IPM program include structural and procedural improvements to reduce
the food, water, shelter, and access used by pests. Since IPM focuses on remediation of the fundamental reasons why pests are here, pesticides are rarely used and only when necessary.

The Integrated Pest Management Plan gives preference to the use of non-chemical pest control measures by focusing on the prevention of pest problems by working to reduce or eliminate conditions that attract pests.  Pests need food, water, and shelter.  Good housekeeping and sealing up access points greatly reduces pests.

The district’s plan includes regular monitoring and inspections to detect pests, pest damage and unsanctioned pesticide usage. We also educate staff about sanitation, monitoring and inspection and about pest control measures utilized in the district.

The low-impact pesticides list must include pesticides that do not have the signal words “warning” or “danger” on the label, and are not classified as human carcinogen or probably/likely to be a human carcinogen under EPA guidelines.