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Samuel |
DeFazio, |
Patrick |
McKown, |
Phone: |
616-673-2793 |
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Jean |
McKown |
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Fax: |
616-673-2793 |
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Service
Categories: |
structural |
commercial |
school |
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landscape
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residential |
golf course |
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Ten years
ago, Allegan Public Schools, in Allegan Michigan became the first
school district in the nation to eliminate pesticide use due to insecticide
resistance in favor of a new broader more effective environmental
management strategy based on biology rather than chemistry, called
Integrated Biological Cybernetics (IBC) our award winning proprietary
innovation. Praxis's site specific approach is based on sound scientific
principals such as sanitation, mechanical barriers, micro-habitat
modification, the predator-prey relationship, parasitoids, entomopathogenic
diseases, accurate identification of the pest index, knowledge of
their lifecycles and constant and diligent monitoring. All environmental
management challenges on a wide variety of issues and pests including,
cockroaches, termites, filth and biting flies, ants, wasps, moth &
drain flies, gypsy moth, mosquitoes, moldy carpets, etc. have been
successfully met. Reducing the risk of vectoring diseases, allergic
responses, and envenomation. It is important to recognize IBC is a
process, not an event. Pesticide use reduction is 100%. Praxis is
of the opinion, based on our observations and experience, that the
use of pesticides pose an insurmountable barrier to long term, cost
effective, environmentally sound pest management. Praxis uses no genetically
modified organisms (GMO'S) as part of any Biotool Kit.
Praxis
works locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. |
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What
is your definition of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? |
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IPM is a pest
management strategy that focuses on long term prevention or suppression
of pest problems with a minimum impact on human health, the environment,
and non-target organisms and is based on biological control. Pest
management techniques included in this IPM planning include: 1.) Encouraging
excellence in sanitation and waste management techniques; 2.) Exclusion
and habitat modification so that harborage of pests is severely limited
or eliminated, including the modification of air movement and humidity
in micro-environments; 3.) Precise and diligent trapping; 4.) Augmentative
biological controls, with inoculative and inundative releases to support
naturally occurring biological control agent populations; and, 5.)
Selection of pest and disease resistant varieties for grounds management
using good horticultural practices. This IPM plan includes use of
biological control agents such as parasitic wasps and entemogenous
nematodes, as well as EPA registered microbial (primarily fungal)
agents, including those which cause mechanical damage to the exoskeleton
of pest, microbial componentswhich cause diseases among pests, and
insect growth regulators (IGR's) which prevent the development and
sexual maturity of pests. District policies, local, state and federal
laws or regulations. The supervising Contractor (Praxis), the supplier
of biological controls and other control agents, is an independent
contractor which will supervise the implementation of this IPM plan
per agreement with, as that term is used in applicable state statutes
and regulations. |
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Is pest management performed on a specific schedule? |
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Monitoring
is performed daily. Biological releases are performed only when
pests are present. |
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How are
pest problems identified? |
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Identification
is done through trapping and identification of pest to genus. Pheromone
and blunder traps are used. |
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What practices
do you use to prevent and/or control pests? |
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Primarily through
biological control. |
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Do you
use biological controls? |
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Praxis has over
1000 beneficial insects, mites, nematodes, protozoan, bacteria and
virus biotools in our site specific biotool kits. We have the largest
selection in the United States. |
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Yes, in mopping
and void spaces. |
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Do you
use synthetic chemicals? |
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What
are the top 10 pesticides you use/sell/recommend? |
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If pesticides are used, how much are used per year of each? |
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Does
your company perform habitat modification? |
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Yes. Caulking
cracks, holes, etc. We also deal with air movement. |
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Do you
use any physical or mechanical controls? |
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We use insect
barrier cloth, bird & bat exclusion and rodent barrier. |
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What
type of fertilizers do you use/sell/recommend? |
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None. We use
a biological consortium that fixes nitrogen from the air and compost
from on site leaffall and clippings. |
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What
do you usually use/sell/recommend for addressing: |
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termites |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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cockroaches |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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fleas |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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carpenter
ants |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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fire ants |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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ants (indoor) |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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crabgrass |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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dandelions |
Academy Biotool
Kit. |
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How do
you evaluate effectiveness of your pest management |
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We evaluate our
effectiveness through the fact that we have had no complaints and
no pest sitings. The Health Department inspections of our sites were
given 100% and the Department of Agriculture inspections of our sites
were given 100%. |
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Allegan Public
Schools, Allegan, MI; Cass Technical High School, Detroit, MI. |
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