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Wayne's Environmental Services, Inc.'s PESP Strategy
Describe your Organization’s Five-Year Goals Related to Pesticide Risk Reduction
Wayne’s Environmental Services will continue providing lawn care, pest prevention and termite protection solutions to our customers that improves their life and protects their family and home while reducing or limiting the environmental and health impact on our communities, customers, and team members. We will do this by researching and implementing new products, technologies, and inspection and application techniques that enhance our current integrated pest management strategies currently in use today.
What do you envision doing (broadly) to try to resolve your major issues?
Lawn Care Issue
In 2007, the EPA announced it would not reregister organic arsenicals such as MSMA and DSMA for use in the agriculture and turfgrass market. MSMA in our region is the main selective post-emergent herbicide used to control summer annual and perennial grassy weeds such as crabgrass, dallisgrass, goosegrass, and others in turfgrasses. With fuel and fertilizer prices almost doubling in the last two years, the loss of MSMA at the average cost of $8.60 per acre has been replaced by products that average $82.00 per acre. This represents almost a 1000% increase in cost and a major financial blow to our industry.
Even more of an issue is the perennial weeds, like dallis grass, that are not controlled by any of these replacement products. There is limited research and development on the horizon for selective products that will control these perennial weeds.
So where do we go from here?
Since the 4th Quarter of 2007, Wayne’s Environmental Services’ Lawn Care Division has modified its pre-emergent herbicide programs for all lawns to include products with low solubility and a broad spectrum of control. These low solubility pre-emergent herbicides are more expensive than previous pre-emergent products used but less expensive than the new post-emergent herbicides replacing MSMA. In theory the lower solubility herbicides have two major benefits, a longer window of control due to less leaching from rainfall and irrigation. This reduces the need for post-emergent herbicides late in the summer and the risk of run off and ground water contamination. In situations where we have been able to apply these products at the ideal treatment window, which is prior to germination, we have seen them yield great results.
Since 98% of our customers are residential homeowners and many begin service with us after this window has passed, the need for an effective, economical post-emergent herbicide to control grasses is a real need in our business and the residential lawn care industry.
Wayne’s Environmental Services is also testing the use of wick applicators and crown injection to control perennial grasses with nonselective herbicides like Roundup and Finale. One of our objectives in using these nonselective herbicides is to minimize damage to the desirable turfgrass. The applications are very labor intensive but are showing good results.
Termite Protection Issue
In 2007, Wayne’s Environmental Services began servicing the Gulf Coast of Mississippi – where the majority of termiticide testing occurs. In 2008, we will treat in excess of 350 homes along this region. Regulations in Mississippi prohibit the use of Bora-Care and the Sentricon System on speculative homes. This forced us to utilize soil termiticides to treat these homes – resulting in approximately 87,500 gallons of termiticide applied.
In addition, we have a master planned community in Biloxi, MS, Tradition, that has a strong desire to reduce pesticide exposure. This community includes a 10,000 home master plan that is scheduled to be completed over a 25 year period. Over this period of time, if we are not able to utilize one of our Green Solutions through a change in regulation, over 2.5 million gallons of termiticide will be used throughout this development.
We welcome the support of the EPA in helping us address this regulatory issue. Currently, we are working with the manufacturers of the Sentricon System and Bora-Care to make regulatory progress.
Goal 1 and Tactics
Update previous on Sentricon and Boracare (See 2006) - Converting 75% or more of our new construction to Green Solutions like Boracare or the Sentricon System.
How does this reduce pesticide risk?
As the new construction market share leader in Alabama, Wayne’s Environmental Services will treat in excess of 3,000 homes 2008. By reducing the use of liquid termiticides on 80% of these homes, we will reduce termiticide use by over 700,000 gallons.
How will you measure the risk reduction gained?
We will track all new construction treatments by service type to ensure that our ratio reaches desired levels in 2008. We will be able to calculate our termiticide use reduction by using the average # of gallons per home for homes treated using the traditional soil barrier method. To date in 2008, 85.3% of all new construction treatments have been either Bora-Care or the Sentricon System.
Goal 2 and Tactics
Update previous goal (see 2006) - Converting large neighborhoods to the Sentricon and Boracare.
In 2007 and 2008, we successfully worked with a key developer in Mobile, Alabama to mandate the use of the Sentricon System in a 700 home development – The Town of SaltAire. This development is located along the Mobile Bay and a reduction of over 200,000 gallons of termiticide was a key factor in getting the agreement from the developer and his builder team.
How does this reduce pesticide risk?
With over 700 homes included in the master plan for this development, a reduction of over 200,000 gallons of termiticide will be achieved over the next 10 years.
How will you measure the risk reduction gained?
Through tracking of homes treated within this development.
Goal 3 and Tactics
In preparation for the phase out of MSMA, Wayne’s Environmental Services identified the most effective replacement control products and strategies for specific grassy weeds that are currently controlled by MSMA.
How does this reduce pesticide risk?
Testing and identifying in small scale the most effective control strategy with the least environmental impact prior to full implementation. This will reduce the over all potential waste and risk of misapplying a herbicide.
How will you measure the risk reduction gained?
Wayne’s will treat over 3000 lawns in 2008. A comparison of post-emergent herbicide usage in 2008 versus 2007 will indicate the effectiveness of the change in the pre-emergent herbicide program. From January – March 2008 approximately a 40% reduction in post-emergent herbicide used to control annual bluegrass was identified.
Goal 4 and Tactics
To establish a quarterly exterior focused pest prevention solution that incorporates web brushing of doors and windows, exclusionary techniques and natural and organic alternatives to traditional pesticides.
How does this reduce pesticide risk?
By eliminating broadcast interior applications and using a targeted exterior approach to pest prevention, we will reduce household pest exposure by 50% or more. Exclusionary methods and web brushing techniques also offer effective control without the use of traditional pesticides. Natural and organic alternatives are being tested for effectiveness so that they can be incorporated in Wayne’s standard pest prevention solution – EnviroPest.
How will you measure the risk reduction gained?
Wayne’s will evaluate average annual pesticide usage per household and compare with data from 2004-2007.