1. Pest Management Concepts for Urban Ornamentals & Turf
David J. Shetlar, Ph.D.
The BugDoc
Landscape Entomologist
The Ohio State University

2. Traditional Approaches
IPM Principles and Concepts
Traditional Approaches
(based on crops)
sample pest populations on a regular basis.
develop pest economic injury levels.
determine economic threshold levels (action thresholds) for each crop and pest.

3. Problems Applying Field Crop Concepts to Urban Areas
IPM Principles and Concepts
Problems Applying Field Crop
Concepts to Urban Areas
urban areas are aesthetic “crops”
general public fear or distaste of pests (“I don’t like bugs!”)
extremely diverse habitats are involved, not monocultures.

4. How do we handle diverse habitats?
IPM Principles and Concepts
How do we handle diverse habitats?
Number of Plants – urban landscapes can contain over 100 species of plants!
Number of Pests – each plant may host 1 to 5 pests each!

5. (for landscapes, Raupp et al.)
IPM Principles and Concepts
Urban Approaches
(for landscapes, Raupp et al.)
Key Plants - plants prone to damaging pest problems.
Key Pests - pests that can cause serious damage or plant loss.

6. “Traditional” Ornamental Plant Maintenance Program
Fertilize spring and fall – all plants treated the same.
Mulch in spring and put down preemerg-ence herbicide (crab grass and other annual weeds)!
Visit landscape 4-5 times per year and use “cover spray” (contains mixture of miticide, fungicide and insecticide)!
Sell other services – pruning, weeding, etc.

7. Current Approach to Ornamental Plant Maintenance
MAP landscape, identifying key plants and key pests.
Evaluate individual plants and consult with owner about desires for plants – maintenance, push growth, etc.
Use targeted pesticide applications.
Recommend “crop” rotation!?

8. Plant Health Care Current Thinking
In Plant Health Care (PHC), the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is only ONE component of the system - the one dealing with "intervention" after a plant stress has been identified as being caused by a pest.

9. Environmentally Based??
Sustainable environment?
Plant Health?
Urban habitat health?
Reduced toxic risk?

10. Sustainable Environments
Need little or no inputs
Resistant to change
Tolerate stresses

11. Plant Health Care Plant Client Plant Evaluation Stress (or Pest)
Intervention?
Management

12. Integrated Pest Management
Chemical Controls
MONITOR
PESTS
Insects
Diseases
Weeds
Biological Controls
Cultural Controls

13. In Integrated Pest Management,
Chemical Controls
Plant Evaluation
MONITOR
PESTS
Plant
Client
Insects
Diseases
Weeds
Stress (or Pest)
Intervention?
Management
Biological Controls
Cultural Controls
In Plant Health Care,
In Integrated Pest Management,
the PLANT and its OWNER
the PESTS are the central
(client, manager, etc.) are
focus of the system
the central focus of the
system

14. Our “concept” of urban landscapes try to mimic outside habitats
Our “concept” of urban landscapes try to mimic outside habitats. Notice the similarities? Trees on the outside perimeter, short-cut plants in the foreground and a “water feature.”

15. Most urban landscapes put stresses on the ornamental plants, thereby making them more prone to insect damage. These oaks were planted three-in-a-spot (four foot squares in the parking lot). They were being killed by borers and the manager was “mystified”!!

16. Typical school landscape with insect-prone plants.

17. Environmentally Based Lawns and Landscapes
Reality
Ideal World
Select plant for site
Amend soil before plant
Use new plants
Pest controls do not affect non-targets
"Healthy" plants defend themselves
Plants already installed
Amend after plant
Deal with old plants
Pesticides affect non-targets
"Healthy" plants are better able to defend

18. Selecting Environmentally Based Products - Insecticides
Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) toxins
Spinosad (Conserve)
Avermectin (Avid)
Soaps and Oils
IGR's
Natural Botanicals - Synthetics

19. Selecting Environmentally Based Products - Plants
Native - Imported
Perennial - Annual
Wet - Dry Tolerant
Sun - Shade Tolerant
Pests Rare or Common
Pest Tolerant or Intolerant

21. Environmentally-Based
Program (an example)
Soil Sample and Characteristics
Site Characteristics
Plant Inventory - identify & map
Pest Inventory - "key pests“
Client Needs and Desires
Short & Long Term Interventions

22. What about biological control?
In it’s most simple definition, biological control is using naturally occurring organisms to control pests, whether the pests be vertebrates (fish, birds, reptiles, or mammals), diseases (usually plant pathogens – fungi), weeds, or arthropods (insects and mites).
Biological controls are usually predators, parasites, or diseases (pathogens), but some biological control experts also include competitors.

23. Biocontrol or "BioBased"?
Paenibacillus popillae – grub milky disease
Bacillus thuringiensis – δ-endotoxin
Saccharopolyspora spinosa – spinosyns (=Conserve™)

24. Classic Insect Biocontrols
Predators
Parasites
Pathogens
Ants & Wasps
Beetles
Spiders
Bugs (damsel, bigeyed, stink)
Mites
Others
Wasps
Flies
Virus
Fungi
Bacteria
Entomopathogenic Nematodes

25. Chinese mantis, a common imported predator

26. Convergent lady beetle eating aphids

27. What is this?

28. Keys to Successful Biocontrols
Easy to recognize
Easy to use
Public acceptance
Cost effective
Shelf life

29. Polistes wasp eating black cutworm

30. Using Biocontrols in Landscapes
Introduction
Augmentation
Conservation

31. Conserving Biological Controls
Learn to recognize biocontrols
Provide food and habitat
Use least toxic chemicals
Target chemicals WHERE needed
Educate customer
BE PATIENT!!

32. Selecting Least Toxic Insecticides
Soaps and Oils (kill by contact only)
Use short residual products
Use IGR-type products (very selective)
Use neonicotinoids ??
Use microbial products ??

33. Insecticide LD50s Acephate (Orthene) 980 Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) 270
Organophosphates (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors)
Acephate (Orthene)
Chlorpyrifos (Dursban)
Diazinon
Ethoprop (Mocap)
Fonofos (Crusade)
Isofenphos (Oftanol)
Isazofos (Triumph)
Malathion
Trichlorfon (Dylox/Proxol)

34. Insecticide LD50s Bendiocarb (Turcam) 156 Carbaryl (Sevin) 246
Carbamates (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors)
Bendiocarb (Turcam) 156
Carbaryl (Sevin) 246
Pyrethroids (disrupt nerve sodium pump)
Bifenthrin (Talstar) 375
Cyfluthrin (Tempo)
Fluvalinate (Mavrik) 282
L-cyhalothrin (Scimitar) 79
Permethrin (Astro)

35. New Insecticide LD50s Azadirachtin A & B (Azatrol, Neem, etc.)
>3540
Tetranortriterpenoid (ecdysone blocker; antifeedant)
Spinosads (Conserve)
Spinosad (synaptic stimulation nicotinic acetycholine sites)
Halofenozide (MACH2)
2850
Diacylhydrazine (molt accelerating compound, induces molt)
Fipronil (Chipco Choice) 97
Phenylpyrazoles (GABA receptor disruption)

36. New Insecticide LD50s Imidacloprid (Merit) 450 Acetamiprid (TriStar)
The Neonicotinoids
Imidacloprid (Merit)
450
Nitroguanidine (post-synaptic block, nicotinic ACH sites)
Acetamiprid (TriStar)
217
Pyridylmethylamine (post-synaptic block, nicotinic ACH sites)
Clothianidin (Arena)
>5000
Nitroguanidine (post-synaptic block, nicotinic ACH sites)
Thiamethoxam (Meridian)
1563
Nitroguanidine (post-synaptic block, nicotinic ACH sites)
Dinotefuran (Safari)
>2000
Nitroguanidine (post-synaptic block, nicotinic ACH sites)

37. Urban Landscape Ecology Program – ULEP
A new approach
Interdisciplinary team (over 40 faculty & staff including representatives from Public Health, Education, Architecture, Engineering, Psychology, CBS & FAES)
Use campuses as model ecological landscapes (demonstrate proper plant materials and conversion techniques)
Establish model communities with commercial developer (currently working with Dominion Homes)
Establish a university major

38. Dominion Homes Burr Oak Development – proposed plan including wetland, a bio-swale water conservation area (will also be a park), as well as low and medium density homes and condo sites. In Upper Darby Watershead.