Insect & Disease Control
We at YardApes, Inc. practice what is known as Integrated Pest Management. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an affordable approach to controlling yard pest problems while minimizing environmental impact. Our IPM program is curative rather than preventative. We only use pesticides in targeted areas after determining if disease or insects have reached intolerable thresholds. In doing so, we avoid the unnecessary and costly spraying of your entire landscape.
Traditional methods which attempt to eradicate all pests from a landscape also kill bacteria and insects that are beneficial and even essential to the long-term health of the plants.
YardApes uses an IPM approach that strives to control pests in an intelligent, balanced, and economical way. In addition to using good cultural practices with watering, pruning, mowing, etc, our IPM system utilizes the following steps:
- Planning. Healthy plants should be placed where they normally thrive in nature, giving them a natural advantage against pests and disease.
- Monitoring. Early detection of pests is very important to maintaining a healthy landscape. We perform regular inspections to look for symptoms that may indicate emerging problems.
- Proper Identification. Differentiating between beneficial organisms and pests is essential in making treatment decisions. If we find a problem area we will make sure to identify the specific cause for the symptom so that we can treat accordingly.
- Implementation. We consider many factors before implementing an action. Knowledge of the site, the pest involved and the options available form the basis for our IPM decisions. Decisions are tailored to minimize risk to the environment and at the same time maximize benefits. We first consider natural approaches such as pruning or proper sanitation. Finally, we’ll apply targeted chemical treatment to any areas that require further attention.
- Evaluation. We follow up to make sure the treatments are working properly.
Because IPM keeps plants healthier and reduces our impact on the environment, we have found it to be the best solution to maintaining healthy landscapes.
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