Use of Pesticides

A homeowner in our HOA wants us to change over to environmental friendly pesticides. I want to do some research first but want to know the following:
1. Are they cheaper?
2. How do they perform when compared to non environmental friendly pesticides?
3. Is there a cost benefit to changing over?
4. Do you have to apply the product more frequently?
5. Is there any drawbacks to changing over?

Thanks

This is one of those areas that is counter-intuitive. It would seem you are really being "environmentally correct" by using more bio/ecological components over chemical. Turns out, the chemical way is the best way. Not every environmenal solution is a safe or beneficial one.

If your from the south, we ALL know about "Kudzu". It was a plant brought over from Asia. It had a really good reason to be helpful. However, it's predicted the stuff is going to take over most of the state in just a few years. It's incredible INVASIVE plant and the original purpose for it is better off taken care of with the new chemicals out there.

As an individual homeowner, environmental solutions do work. Nematodes are great for killing fleas in the yard. They just don't work for a large area. They are little bugs that eat fleas and die out when the fleas die. Not every owner is going to like to have "bugs" in their yards...

I did have a few neighbors who didn't want their yard treated with the chemical company. I simply told them I would talk to the company and NOT have their yard sprayed. I couldn't guarantee it they wouldn't screw up. However, I would try NOT to have their yard sprayed. That meant they would be responsible for their own weed control and their own solution. They weren't obsolved of any costs just because they didn't get it either.

Overall, chemicals are safer and designed to be that way. Go natural only if there is a benefit that many will participate in and not a few. It's really not worth going the all natural route in everything...

I can't give you an informed answer to your questions. However you SHOULD bring this before the membership, present what you have learned, and ask for comment and reaction.

I consulted with one of the best pest control companies around. (They even have their own bug museum). A homeowner kept insisting that the HOA was to be responsible for pest control. Which we are NOT. Could NOT convince this owner so consulted the best in the field.

Our HOA has old railroad ties for retaining walls behind many houses. They are over 20 years old and termite infested. The mulch around people's houses are also infested with the little buggers. The expert told me this was actually a GOOD thing. It meant that the termites had a place to live/eat and NOT invading people's houses.

The homeowner and a few others were starting to demand their railroad tie walls be replaced with concrete brick because their concern for the termites deterioting their walls. I must have talked myself blue in the face explaining this would cause the termites to go INTO their houses instead causing damage. Their response was that once the termites caused damage to the homes they could sue the HOA and force then to do the repairs since they should have been providing pest control...

So sometimes you can't save people from themselves...