Outdoor IPM

Integrated Pest Management for School Grounds

Integrated Pest Management for School Turf and Landscapes

IPM is a process for achieving long term, environmentally sound pest suppression through the use of a wide variety of technological and management practices. IPM was first developed for management of plant pests, so including turf and landscape in the pest management plan for your facility is a natural.

One key difference between indoor IPM and outdoor IPM is that the focus shifts from managing a non-living environment (the building) to managing a living environment (turf and landscape plantings). In both cases, the environment will be managed in a way that will make it hard for pests to survive. In an outdoor setting, the most important strategy for reducing pests (weeds, insects, and vertebrates) is by maintaining healthy, vigorous plants. So a large part of outdoor pest management is really “plant management.”

Grounds management for schools is an important and complex task. Important, because for many schools more pesticides are applied on turf and athletic fields than are ever used indoors. Complex, because many people use outdoor school environments in many different ways, leading to the need for multiple management plans. Also, with so many members of the school community (and others) making use of the grounds, it is difficult to time management activities for maximum efficiency and safety. Communication is a critical ally in IPM for school grounds.

Step-by-Step IPM for School Turf and Landscapes

Landscape Design and Maintenance Issues

Turf and Athletic Fields Management

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Purdue University, Department of Entomology, 901 West State Street, Smith Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1158. E-mail:luck@purdue.edu All original content © 2000 - 2001, Purdue Entomology Extension. Some original artwork courtesy of Karen Thornton.