Earth is a comfortable, hospitable place, one in which humans have learned not only to be at peace with Nature but also to exploit her resources successfully while maintaining a healthy relationship with the planet. One the most successful efforts has been the development of highly productive agricultural and botanical sciences that not only focus on foodproduction but also on biologically diverse living spaces such as parks, playgrounds and even Dallas forests and wild lands.

But within these Dallas cultivation and conservation efforts,humans have tough adversariesin the form of insects, of which there are more than a million known Texas species; plant pathogens; and weeds, all of which can impact cultivation if they are not suppressed or contained. Synthetic insecticides developed following World War II dramatically reduced crop damage, leading to increased harvests of higher quality crops and produce. Some of these solutions also brought with them broader biological impact. In response, entomologists developed a concept of supervised impact control, Integrated Pest Management,that was science-based. It monitored the presence of specific insects and correspondingly developed chemical and biological solutions.

Integrated Pest Management became Texas policy in 1972. It is currently used horticulture, agriculture, human living environments, preventive conservation plus general pest control in structural, turf as well as ornamental pest management. IPM programs involve six basic elements:

- Satisfactory pest levels: emphasis is placed on control versus eradication. Knowing that eliminating and whole pest population is virtually impossible, the program calls for establishing site-specific acceptable Dallas pest levels.

- Defensive cultural practices: selecting diversities best suitable for local growing conditions as well as maintaining health crops, and eliminating diseased Texas plants plus other threats.

- Monitoring: Establishing a program for regularly monitoring for Texas pest incursions, including visual inspections and keeping records of pest levels.

- Mechanical controls: Taking action at unacceptable pest infestation levels, including measures such as hand-picking, traps, barriers, vacuuming plus tillage to disrupt breeding.

- Biological controls: Employing ordinary biological processes, such as promoting helpful Dallas insects that eat or parasitize goal pests. Biological insecticides resulting from naturally occurring-microorganisms are also useful.

- Responsible use: SP-Synthetic pesticides are available and are used discreetly such as in certain periods in the pest’s life cycle. Pesticides have also been developed from plants and substances. To be effective, pesticides should be appropriate both to the Texas crop and the target pest.

While IPM initially focused on agricultural, the program since has been expanded to address diseases, weeds and other pests that impact residential and commercial structures, lawn and turf areas and home and community gardens.

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