Integrated pest management

A few weeks ago I posted about disposing of pesticides and containers that you no longer need. While I was researching that, I found a webpage on integrated pest management, which describes methods to control pests (insects and rodents) in ways that reduce the use of toxic chemicals.  The website encourages learning about your pest (and has information to help you identify the pest) before reaching for the toxic chemicals, because you may be able to control it without chemicals.  It also has information on selecting pesticides that specifically target your pest so you don’t need to use the most toxic, broad-spectrum pesticides.  And remember, many insects feed beneficial birds and other creatures, so if you eliminate the insect, you may eliminate the other creatures as well.  You shouldn’t let pests overrun your home or create unhealthy conditions, but perhaps you can find a less impactful way to keep them outside where they belong.  A few ideas and the link to the website:

• Stuff small holes leading into the house with steel wool.  Mice can’t chew through it.  And remember that mice can squeeze through what seem like impossibly small spaces so think like a mouse when you’re filling holes.  
• Encourage insect-eating birds and bats by helping make appropriate habitat near your house.  Birds and bats can eat hundreds of mosquitos every day.  Barn swallows (we have a nest with 5 babies over our front door) can eat up to 850 mosquitos a day per bird.  Yes, the nest is messy, but the birds are adorable and fun to watch and we can sit outside in the evening without mosquito repellent.  ​

http://npic.orst.edu/pest/ipm.html