UGA Manual Helps Businesses and Homeowners Fight Pests

As the weather warms up, homeowners and commercial farmers will be preparing for another crop year.  One challenge that faces both groups is how to control pests.  If overcoming that challenge involves chemicals, before a chemical is used or stored, the grower needs to read the label and follow instructions, but that piece of information can be very difficult to understand so the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) has a solution to help guide you through complex labels.  It’s called the Georgia Pest Management Handbook and the 2018 edition is now available for purchase.

This thirty-ninth commercial edition is divided into two volumes and provides more than 1,000 pages of current information on selection, application and safe uses of pest control chemicals around farms, homes, urban areas, recreational areas and other environments where pests may occur. Special attention is given to cultural, biological, physical and other types of control for insects, diseases and weeds in agronomic crops such as grains, cotton and tobacco, as well as for commercial operations specializing in fruits, vegetables and ornamental horticulture production. Recommendations are also given for managing pests around livestock and aquatic environments.

A companion home and garden (homeowner) edition contains more than 180 pages of insect, weed and disease control recommendations for private homes, lawns, orchards and pets, including an expanded section with organic recommendations.

Printed commercial handbooks are available for $50.00 and the companion home and garden (homeowner) edition is $20.00; both are available for purchase on-line through the UGA market place at ugaextensionstore.com and there are copies in the Gilmer County UGA Extension office if you would like to view one before purchase.

Individual sections of both the commercial and homeowner editions are also available for download as PDFs from http://www.caes.uga.edu/departments/entomology/extension/pest-management-handbook.html.You can also mail a personal check to (and made payable to) the University of Georgia; Office of Communications (Attn: Georgia Pest Management Handbook); #126 Hoke Smith Building; Athens, GA  30602.

For more information, visit www.ent.uga.edu/pest-management or call the entomology department directly at 706-542-2816.