Middlebury College IPM Plan-Landscape

Purpose and Goals
The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan for Middlebury College is designed to manage pest populations in an environmentally responsible manner, ensuring the safety and well-being of the college community, while maintaining the health and aesthetics of the campus. This plan emphasizes preventive measures and sustainable pest management strategies that prioritize non-chemical controls.

Policy Statement
Middlebury College adopts an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy to control pests, including insects, weeds, and plant diseases, through biological, physical, or chemical control methods when deemed necessary as outlined below. The IPM program reduces the need for pesticides, minimizing risks to human health and the surrounding environment.

Scope
This IPM plan covers all outdoor areas of the Middlebury College campus, including lawns, ornamental plantings, athletic fields, and woodland areas.

Key Elements of the IPM Plan

1. Regular Monitoring and Inspection

Frequent monitoring of potential pest issues is a cornerstone of Middlebury’s IPM strategy. Landscape staff will conduct regular scouting of campus facilities and grounds to detect pest activity early, allowing for targeted and minimal interventions. Scouting frequency will vary depending on seasonal conditions and specific campus zones.

  • Turf and Grasses: Monthly monitoring during the growing season with additional inspections as weather conditions demand.
  • Trees and Shrubs: Inspections during early spring (pre-bud break), late spring, and early fall.

2. Prevention and Cultural Practices

To minimize the need for chemical interventions, the college will implement the following practices:

  • Turf Management: Use of resistant grass varieties, efficient irrigation of athletic fields, mowing at proper heights to reduce stress and weed competition, and aeration to maintain soil health.
  • Tree and Ornamental Plant Care: Pruning of diseased branches, use of native and pest-resistant plant species, and proper mulching and management to suppress weeds.

3. Non-Chemical Pest Control

Whenever possible, non-chemical controls will be employed, including:

  • Physical Removal: Weeds and pests will be manually removed when feasible.
  • Biological Controls: Beneficial organisms may be introduced to manage pest populations.

4. Chemical Controls as a Last Resort

Chemical treatments will only be used when monitoring indicates a significant pest issue that cannot be controlled by other means. When necessary, the following guidelines will be followed:

  • Legal Products and Use: Pesticide must be legal for use in the State of Vermont and applied in accordance with label directions.
  • Selection of Chemicals: Use the least hazardous, EPA-approved pesticides, favoring those labeled as “caution” rather than “warning” or “danger.” Preference will be given to organic or low-toxicity options when available.
  • Application Methods: When possible, spot treatments will be used instead of blanket applications to minimize pesticide use. Safety measures, including proper signage and restricted access to treated areas, will be enforced following State of Vermont pesticide guidelines.
  • Additional information on pesticide safety can be found at: EPA Pesticide Program – https://www.epa.gov/pesticides

5. Record Keeping

Detailed records of all pest control actions, including inspections, monitoring, and pesticide applications, will be maintained. Facilities Services will keep a log of pest issues and the remedies applied as detailed in The State of Vermont Regulations for Control of Pesticides 6 V.S.A. Chapter 87, Section V . Pesticide use records will be stored for at least five years.

Pest Categories and Thresholds

  1. Turf and Grasses
    • High-priority areas (e.g., athletic fields, campus core) will receive the most attention and resources, aiming to maintain a low threshold of pests with healthy and safe turf.
    • Lower-priority areas (e.g., naturalized meadow areas) will tolerate more pest presence, and treatments will focus only on severe infestations.
    • Best Practices for Lawn Management
      1. Frequent high mowing (3-3.5 inches) with mulching blades, no removal of cuttings
      2. Aerating and topdressing to maintain drainage in high-traffic areas
      3. Application of organic matter to turf areas
      4. Minimal fertilization. Phosphorus-free fertilizer is used to reduce phosphorus runoff into nearby water bodies.
      5. Overseed turf areas with grass seed in Spring and Fall.
  2. Trees and Ornamental Plants
    • Trees in the campus core and landscaped zones will be closely monitored for signs of stress, disease, or pests, with immediate action taken for high-priority areas.
    • Less formal landscape areas will be regularly reviewed, with pest control measures focused on preventing spread to higher-priority areas.
    • Carry out pruning regularly to remove diseased limbs.
    • Remove diseased plants and replant with resistant varieties.
    • Once pests reach the action threshold, use the least toxic pesticides
    • Make applications of chemical controls at times of the year and with the application techniques that will be most effective.
  3. Gardens/Perennial Beds 
    • Wood chip mulching in spring
    • Planting rapidly growing species in sufficient quantities to ensure thorough coverage
    • Using herbicides only when necessary, and choosing the least toxic and non-residual option
  4. Woodlands and Natural Areas
    • Invasive species will be targeted for removal, with particular attention given to preventing the spread of non-native plants or pests to other parts of the campus.
  1. Athletic Fields
    • The athletic fields are maintained at a different level than the rest of the campus. The athletic fields have a grass species which requires a lower height of cut. This lower height of cut combined with the need to keep consistent turf cover for athlete safety requires more pesticide and fungicide applications preventively.
  2. Invasives
    • Invasive plants are defined as non-native plants that escape from cultivation, or their original location, and spread relatively rapidly without human assistance.
    • Invasive plant populations will be managed with the goal of complete eradication when possible, and of maintaining low, controlled levels of invasives if eradication is not possible.
    • The college will address invasives with the following considerations:
      1. Location of the infestation – removal from cultivated landscape settings is a higher priority than minimally managed or wild locations.
      2. Invasiveness of the species – Plants known to be extremely invasive are a higher priority.
      3. Resources available – Invasive removal is often very labor intensive and the limitations of staff numbers and budget levels must be considered.
    • Control procedures will be based on an understanding of species biology and ecology, and mechanical and “organic” methods will be evaluated before herbicides are used.
    • Herbicides will be used in strict conformity with state and federal law. Only the most selective herbicide application technique that is deemed effective, and the lowest effective concentration of chemical, will be used.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Facilities Services Landscape Supervisor: Oversees the IPM program, conducts inspections, and manages pest control contractors.
  • Campus Horticulturist: Develops, updates and implements the IPM program and monitors results. Decides on approaches to take when a pest becomes a problem. Will inspect areas before and after any treatment has been made to lawns and landscape beds to evaluate the treatment’s effectiveness. Keeps and maintains records of pests and control measures, follows state guidelines for record keeping.
  • Grounds Staff: Monitors outdoor areas and performs non-chemical pest control actions such as weeding and pruning.
  • Director of Sustainability: Advises on environmentally responsible practices and ensures compliance with sustainability goals.
  • Pesticide Application: At least one staff member in Facilities Services should have a current State of Vermont pesticide applicator license. All pesticide application records are to be overseen and archived by the Landscape Supervisor or the Horticulturist. Any contractors who apply pesticides to the campus landscape must comply with this IPM policy and have their written application proposals approved by the appropriate IPM Coordinator.

This IPM plan is designed to evolve, with annual reviews to assess the effectiveness of pest control measures and to incorporate new best practices. This plan will be reviewed yearly by the Horticulturist and Landscape Supervisor. Through this plan, Middlebury College will maintain a healthy, safe, and sustainable campus environment while minimizing the use of pesticides and other chemical treatments. For more information about IPM principles, visit: https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/integrated-pest-management-ipm-principles