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Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is now a well-known phrase among park maintenance staff members; meanwhile, community members are becoming familiar with it being used or promoted by local pest-management companies or state-mandated programs for schools. To ensure that pest management is accomplished using multiple tactics rather than relying on pesticides only, many municipalities and park divisions have developed an IPM policy and a plan to implement it.
Policy Vs. Plan
It is important to note that an IPM policy is different from an IPM plan. An IPM policy is the framework of an IPM plan. Many municipalities develop the policy and leave it to individual agencies or divisions to develop an IPM plan that best fits what they are doing. For example, an IPM plan for an athletic field used for tournament play will be different than one for an office building. Many IPM policy documents were developed as a result of an external event, such as water-quality mitigation response, or from residents concerned about pesticide use near playgrounds. However, these plans and policies are rarely updated once developed.
Reasons To Update
Why update? If a policy is more than five years old, a review should be done to address current concerns, such as human health, new pest issues, changes in management, or environmental concerns. For example, 10 years ago, few IPM policies addressed the impact of pesticides on pollinators. Doing a checkup on a one- to five-year cycle makes sure it is relevant to the agency, current regulations, and the community. It also avoids having to do a major overhaul, which can be more time-consuming.