When dealing with unwanted pests around your home or business, you may want to hire a pest control service to take care of the problem for you. Pest control professionals have access to different products, specialized training, and equipment that may be needed to manage a serious infestation.
Pest management professionals can learn more about integrated pest management approaches and available training by visiting the UC IPM Program for structural pest management or landscape pest management.
TAKE ACTION! By following these steps, you can support pest control companies that understand and implement integrated pest management and less-toxic approaches:
- Do some research about the pest you have and how it can be controlled.
- Verify licensing. Ensure the pest control operator has a license issued by the California State Structural Pest Control Board, plus any other required registrations, certifications, or insurance. Verify the license at the Department for Consumer Affairs license search.
- Hire an IPM-certified operator who applies effective non-chemical strategies first. Helpful certifications:
- Ask questions. The OWOW guide to hiring a pest control company and UC IPM’s hiring guide have great question lists.
Landscape Design & Irrigation Management to Prevent Pesticide Runoff
Proper design and management of the landscaping around our homes and businesses can help prevent pesticide runoff into local waterbodies. Two great starting points: Save Our Water and the CDWR Water-Efficient Landscaping guide. For county-specific guidance, use the UC Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist.
TAKE ACTION! Slow the flow by following these UC IPM recommendations for pesticide-smart landscape design:
Help water soak into the ground
- Use stones, pavers, gravel, mulch, or other materials that allow water to soak into the ground in areas where you don’t have plants.
- Aerate your soil and use organic material like compost — plus perforated drainage lines — to reduce areas of water pooling in your landscaping.
Create landscape features to collect runoff water
- Consider using trees, rain gardens, terrace walls, rain barrels, or swales (long, shallow, grassy depressions) to hold water within the landscaped area.
- Use river-friendly gardening approaches: select appropriate plants, minimize chemical pesticides, and create “hydrozones” by grouping plants according to water needs. See Lodi Watershed Friendly Landscaping or the River-Friendly Landscape Guidelines.
Install and properly operate irrigation systems
- Inspect irrigation equipment regularly and consider installing a “smart” irrigation controller to reduce overwatering.