Section 4. Following the EcoWise Standards

To provide EcoWise Certified IPM Services, you must follow the EcoWise Standards. The EcoWise Standards are the key to successful execution of an EcoWise Certified IPM Service, and you should be especially familiar with the Pest Management Standards, Sections 100 through 105 of the Standards. Section 100 of the Pest Management Standards mandates pest prevention techniques, integration of multiple treatment strategies, and an IPM Partnership with the customer. Section 101 covers inspections, monitoring, pest biology and history, partnership with the customer, written IPM plans, and recordkeeping. Section 102 covers EcoWise Pesticide Application Standards. Section 103 covers recordkeeping. EcoWise in some instances allows deviation from the Pesticide Application Standards. This topic is covered in Section 104. Section 105 discusses how to terminate an EcoWise certified service with a customer. Pesticide Application Standards were covered in detail in Part A Section 4 of this Online Orientation.

The EcoWise Standards have a step by step approach for customer interaction and pest management procedures. These procedures are summarized in the following schematic:

Pdf Link: IPM treatment schematic

The IPM Practitioner should interview the client and record the history of the pest problem. This interview is very important because you should determine the customer’s attitude toward pesticides, whether or not they are chemically sensitive and other problems they might have.

The interview is followed by an inspection of the property. Pest locations should be determined. The pest should be identified and population levels estimated. The Practitioner should identify conducive conditions and note habitat modifications and sanitation measures that might be useful.

After the inspection, the customer should be interviewed again and apprised of the situation. Options for treatments should be discussed, along with possible outcomes. These steps are outlined in Section 101 of the Standards.

The IPM Practitioner then presents the client with a written IPM site plan for the pest. Your company may already have this written as an IPM Protocol for the particular pest. Refer to Section 101.7 and 300.5 of the Standards.

After these preliminaries are completed, treatment can begin.

Primary treatments should be non-chemical such as sanitation, habitat modification, physical, mechanical and cultural controls. If these controls are inadequate, unsatisfactory, or not economically viable, reduced risk chemical controls can be used. In some cases, such as the use of baits, baits can be used simultaneously with non-chemical methods.

If chemicals are applied, risk must be minimized and pesticides should be applied according to Section 102 of the Standards. They are applied as a directed treatment to cracks and crevices, as a spot treatment outdoors, as a spot treatment indoors with pesticides exempt from registration in California or in a bait station. Fogging cannot be used where people live or work. No perimeter treatments can be applied unless it is an EPA 25b exempt material that is also exempt from registration in California.

Pesticides used must be part of your company’s IPM toolbox that has been approved by the EcoWise Program Director. Pesticide evaluation criteria were covered in Part A of this Course and can be found in Appendix A of the EcoWise Standards. For convenience, there is a list of pesticide examples in Appendix A that have been approved in the past.

To make the concept clearer, pest management according to EcoWise Certified Standards are presented in the schematic below:

Pdf Link: EcoWise Pesticide Treatments

photo courtesy of Pestec

The IPM toolbox is an important part of providing IPM service

Although the Pest Management Standards are extremely important, an EcoWise Certified IPM Practitioner should be familiar with all parts of the Standards. The EcoWise Standards also have instructions on how to get certified, how to renew your certification and other important points. You will be asked questions about the Standards on the IPM Practitioner exam. If you do not have yet have a copy of the Standards you can find them at the link below

:
Pdf Link: EcoWise Certified Standards

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