A common reaction to pests or pest damage is to apply a pesticide such as an insecticide, fungicide or herbicide. With concerns about potential environmental risks related to pesticides and pests developing resistance to pesticides, it’s important to manage pests in a way that minimize these risks.
To effectively and responsibly manage pests during the upcoming growing season, follow the steps of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps are pest monitoring; pest identification; determining if control is needed; selecting control methods; and correctly using the control method at the right time.
On a regular basis, check garden and landscape plants for signs of pests. Early detection allows control methods to be used before a problem becomes too serious or before it’s past time for a control method to be effective.
Pest identification allows for selection of the most effective control method. Symptoms of different pests can be similar in appearance. Positive identification prevents mistakes like applying an insecticide for damage caused by environmental stress or disease.
All pests do not require control. The damage some pests cause is aesthetic only and does not damage long term plant health. Violets in the lawn can be viewed as a weed or as an ornamental. Some pests require control only when their numbers reach a certain population level.
If it’s determined control is needed to reduce unacceptable damage, consider a variety of control options. IPM promotes the use of cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls. Pesticide use is recommended only when needed and when it can be applied at the correct time to effectively control a pest.
For control methods to be effective in reducing pests or their damage, they must be used according to label direction and at the right time. This is especially true of pesticides. Following are the tree and turfgrass pests for which pesticides, if the pest is present and this control method is chosen, may need to be applied in April.
Fungicides for Sphaeropsis tip blight of pines need to be applied during the third week of April and 10 to 14 days later. Fungicides for fungal leaf diseases such as anthracnose on shade trees and cedar apple rust or apple scab on crabapples and apple trees need to be applied at leaf bud break and repeated as the label states.
Insecticides for control of worms in fruit trees are applied at petal drop and repeated as listed on the label. Spruce mites on evergreens begin to hatch in April and May. Using the white paper test, monitor evergreens for spruce mites and begin insecticide or insecticidal soap applications when spruce mites can be found.
Source: Kelly Feehan, Extension Educator
Ann Fenton, Extension Educator
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Extension in Pierce County
