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As a homeowner, you may be inclined to eliminate pests from your landscape at first sighting. We don’t blame you!
Most pests, however, are harmless, and in fact beneficial, to a landscape’s ecosystem. Pest-related damage, though alarming, is likely a sign that a natural process is occurring.
“A landscape without insects and microorganisms would be a very unhealthy environment,” explained Tchukki Andersen, staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), in a statement. “The trick is to the balance the threshold of healthy with having too much of a good thing, when the naturally-occurring insects and diseases become a problem.”
According to the TCIA, pests are one of many rungs on the ladder of the ecosystem, contributing to decomposition and other natural processes. Commercial pest removal sprays disrupt those processes.
“This is where an integrated pest management (IPM) program may benefit your landscape plants,” Andersen said.
To implement this system, the TCIA advises exercising proactive measures, such as irrigation and mulching, and consulting a tree care professional—the latter will be able to provide recommendations should pests become a problem.
“A healthy landscape is less susceptible to pest outbreaks and is more resilient if an outbreak does occur,” concluded Andersen.
Source: Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)
Via +RISMedia http://rrein.rismedia.com/media/news/88167/id:121441
Nancy M. Alexander Stone Harbor and Avalon NJ Real Estate
