Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Guidelines

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Guidelines/Policy

Effective: Spring 2025

Responsible University Office: Facilities Maintenance & Operations

Policy Contact: Office of Sustainability

Introduction   

In order to further our sustainable campus initiatives, NJIT will follow this Integrated Pest Management (IPM) when responding to all outdoor pests on campus. An IPM is a long term plan to ensure the safe and ecologically conscious handling of pests using a variety of practices, focusing on limiting pesticide use when possible and instead using common sense and natural practices. A pest is any living organism that interferes with the NJIT’s community. 

Goals

• Ensure the maximum health and safety of every community member on campus.
• Provide guidelines for landscaping and facilities to manage outdoor pests on campus.
• Reduce and eliminate pesticide use when possible.
• Support the success of the honors native plantings and preserve biodiversity at NJIT. 

Scope

This guideline applies to all New Jersey Institute of Technology faculty, staff, students, and contractors. 

IPM Coordinator & Committee

NJIT Facilities Personnel (Richard Martinez for 2024) will be NJIT’s IPM Coordinator while the Bee Campus Committee will provide assistance in its implementation and any questions or concerns that arise from it. The Bee Campus Committee will include members from the Office of Sustainability, the Urban Ecology Lab, Landscaping Team, Albert Dorman Honors College, and student body.

Notification of Pesticide Use & Public Access to Information

If no other methods of pest management are possible and pesticides must be used, records need to be kept of when, where, and why they were applied. The NJIT community will have access to this data through the Office of Sustainability’s website to promote transparency and demonstrate the effectiveness of our land management.

General Strategies

For weeds, regular hand-weeding and organic herbicides that are biodegradable should be utilized. For other pests, here are some non-chemical methods: 

1. Habitat Modification:
   1. Early detection: inspect problem areas to find and eliminate new nests from early spring to first frost
   2. Food: sanitation, sealing waste, and food, clean trash containers, secure lids
   3. Water: repair leaks, fix drainage problems
   4. Shelter: caulking cracks, remove cardboard boxes, trim nearby vegetation 
2. Physical Controls:
   1. Removal: vacuum, fly swatter, traps
   2. Traps: glue pads, fly paper, light traps
   3. Structural repair: screens, sealing gaps, replacing seals
3. Biological Controls: 
   1. Beneficial insects (natural enemies of pests)

Pest-Specific Strategies (Suggested Practices) 

Based on the best management practices from other New Jersey universities, we have identified the following action thresholds to discuss with our facilities and the landscaping contractor.