Bee Campus USA

Georgia Tech is a proud to be an official Bee Campus USA!

The Bee Campus USA program encourages campuses to support pollinators by supporting educational outreach and sustainable landscape practices.  

This page contains information about the Georgia Tech Bee Campus USA Committee.  Please look for information about upcoming public events on the Urban Honey Bee Project events page

Georgia Tech Bee Campus USA Committee:

Dr. Jennifer Leavey, College of Sciences (co-chair)

Steve Place, Landscape Services (co-chair)

Joe Laneve, Horticulturist II

Jeff Sheehan, Turf Maintenance Manager

Sarah Neville, Office of Campus Sustainability

Neil Fuller, Supervisor in Landscape Services

Quentin Holden, Campus Arborist

Marlon Ellis, Zone Manager

Jonathan Pennie,  GT undergrad student. 

Georgia Tech IPM Plan:

 

The objective of Georgia Tech’s IPM plan is to reduce the occurrence of pests while ensuring minimal human exposure to health risk, and inflicting minimal hazards on the environment. An effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of the following common-sense practices designed to reduce the amount of pesticides used in landscape management:

● Cultural practices - Selection of native plants, analysis of soil type, location and soil preparation, and planting beds free of weeds and disease material

● Identification - Accurate identification of the pest problems and the use of recommended products at proper rates

● Intervention - Physical (mowing, pulling and pruning) or chemical (pre-emergence and post emergence)

[4] Cultural practices - Selection of native plants, analysis of soil type, location and soil preparation, and planting beds free of weeds and disease material Identification - Accurate identification of the pest problems and the use of recommended products at proper rates Intervention - Physical (mowing, pulling and pruning) or chemical (pre-emergence and post emergence)

1. Set Action Threshold and Scouting: Determine acceptable damage threshold in the event of infestation and scout.

2. Prevention: Plant pest resistant varieties; native plants; keep plants healthy; fertilize and water regularly with proper soil preparation. Apply mulch 2 times per year to prevent weeds and increase soil moisture content.

3. Monitor and Identify Pests: Ensure proper pest identification, monitor life cycle and stages of pests, track seasonally to document increase/decrease of pest infestations.

4. Control: When possible, control pests with cultural, mechanical and conventional chemical control. Chemical intervention should be used as a last resort, and when used, should be applied at the recommended lower rate.