There are so many people and products claiming their pest control is green, natural and organic how do you know what to believe, natural green or organic which is the best pest control. A pest control program can claim to be green and not be organic, that is because green is not regulated there is no official classification for green, you have no way to certify that it’s green, how green is green anyway.
Organic programs are certified by the USDA National Organic Program and are for Organic certified growers and processing facilities under federal standards which are audited regularly for compliance to the NOP standards.
Organic pest control on crops and plants is a lot different from controlling a pest in a brick and mortar structure such as in packing facility or manufacturing plant. For one you can’t spray an organic facility down with a pesticide organic, natural or otherwise.
Organic facilities must adhere to the strict standards of the program using IPM Integrated Pest Management which focuses on excluding pests with constant monitoring, inspecting and trapping to ensure pest are not getting in and if they are to intercept them before they become and infestation and treating only with products that are approved by The National List.
With traditional pest control programs even by those that claim to use natural products the main focus is making frequent applications of natural pesticides to control pests, this is not acceptable for organic production or facilities, this is not IPM and it’s not considered a green approach since there is no emphasis on exclusion, sealing, repairing holes, gaps, lamps, air curtains, habitat modification, removing food and water sources or correcting deficiencies in the structure, there is no focus on Identifying the insect to find the lowest toxic method, it’s a spray and pray approach, and it will work until you have pest problem.
Organic programs allow for chemicals to be used only after all other options have been implemented and have failed in order to prevent contamination, this is the same standards for facilities IPM in hospitals, sensitive facilities government and LEED buildings
In these types of facilities you can never achieve control with a monthly, bimonthly or quarterly service. In these types of facilities it’s not about performing a control service such as applying something to control something, but about having a highly trained pest inspector looking for pests, problems, violations on a weekly basis and working with management to correct deficiencies and comply with IPM standards.
Just using a natural product on periodic basis is not green pest control your just replacing it with a synthetic pesticide. By itself it will not control pests, it gives a false sense of security by thinking you are using a non toxic products and you are preventing pests when you’re not. Sure it’s greener than using more toxic chemicals and that’s better than nothing, but chemical does not equal control.
Not all organic products on The National List or on the OMRI the Organic Material Research Institute are allowed to be used in residential or commercial properties, just because they are organic does not mean they are not toxic to people and pets.
Organic products are better for the earth and the environment because they break down in the environment in a way that does not contaminate ground water, streams and lakes like synthetic pesticides can.
Copper is allowed for organic production, organic gardening and residential and commercial landscape plants and shrubs for the control of funguses on foliage but is not allowed to be sprayed on lawns for anything other than algae. Copper is not 100% eco-friendly “This pesticide is toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates and may contaminate water through runoff.” There is no natural or organic fungicide to control all the diseases lawns get.
A biological insecticide with the bacterial strain Bacillus thuringiensis is labeled for organic production and is OMRI listed but it is “Harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.” So you have to wear a bio suit, gloves and respirator to apply it, “may be used for any labeled pest in both field and greenhouse use”. So you can’t use it in residential or commercial properties as a spray. But it is organic certified.
This is why we use IPM which can be designed for Organic Facilities using certified organic products. We also use IPM with synthetics in conjunction with natural and organic pesticides approved for residential and commercial landscapes. In facilities IPM for government, LEED certified buildings and your home with targeted traps, baits, crack and crevice treatments that are proven for pest management with reduced chemical exposure.
IPM give us the ability to integrate what is needed to control pest in the safest manner possible protecting people, pets, product, property, brand, certifications and planet.
