As members of Disney's Pest Management team, Marty Dugan and his crew are responsible for controlling insects on 40 square miles of Disney property. He and his staff have enthusiastically embraced integrated pest management (IPM) and reduced their use of pesticides by more than 70 percent in the past five years. IPM methods specify using the least toxic pest controls first instead of broad-spectrum chemical controls. IPM practitioners use insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, bacterial controls and beneficial predatory insects to control unwanted species.
One of the hardest-working of these beneficial insects is the ladybug. On the Disney property ladybugs are used to help control aphids, various types of scale, certain mites and some whitefly larvae. In addition, the release of ladybugs provides education and entertainment to the park's visitors. Ladybugs are first packed into matchbox containers, then released inside the perimeter and dispersed throughout the park by visiting children.
To encourage newly introduced ladybugs to stay in a home garden, Dugan recommends spraying plants with water before releasing the beetles. A water-soluble insect "power" food may be sprayed directly onto the plant as well.
Another beneficial insect, similar to the ladybug and also used at the Disney resort, is the cryptolaemus (figure A). When cryptolaemus begin to hatch, they feast on mealybug eggs and adult mealybugs.
IPM has proven to be a highly effective means of controlling all kinds of plant pests, including those that attack turf grass, perennials and vegetables. Beneficial bugs are available through garden catalogs, nurseries and home and garden centers. Often nurseries and garden centers sell empty boxes that come with ordering and shipping instructions as well as information on preferred release dates for your area.
Keep in mind that if you use pesticides in your garden, you'll kill beneficial insects as well as harmful ones. So when you use insecticides, spray only the infested plants, and mix only the amount of spray that you need at that time.
Insecticidal soap can be an effective low-toxicity pesticide, but it kills insects indiscriminately. Dormant oils smother insects as they overwinter on trees and shrubs. The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, is an effective treatment against caterpillars such as tobacco bud worm and geranium bud worm. But butterflies begin life as caterpillars too, so in order to avoid killing them, spray only the affected plants, and mix no more than you'll use at one time.
When using pesticides of any sort, always read and follow package instructions carefully.
RESOURCES :
Marty Dugan
Walt Disney Institute of Pest Management
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000
Phone: 407-397-6812
The Bug Store
The Bug Store
St. Louis, MO 63122-1104
A-1 Unique Insect Control
A-1 Unique Insect Control
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
Phone: 916-961-7945
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