IPM Basics: Building Your Pest Management Toolbox with Dr. Erich Schoeller
S01:E04

IPM Basics: Building Your Pest Management Toolbox with Dr. Erich Schoeller

Gays Mills, Wisconsin
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Episode description

Blooms and Beyond - Season 1, Episode 4

Episode Title:

“IPM Basics: Building Your Pest Management Toolbox with Dr. Erich Schoeller”

Episode Description

What if the secret to healthier plants isn’t reaching for the spray bottle, but building a smarter system? In this episode, Dr. Ping Yu sits down with Dr. Erich Schoeller, an entomologist and IPM specialist at the University of Georgia, to break down the fundamentals of Integrated Pest Management. From the IPM pyramid to parasitoid wasps, from banker plants to predatory mites, Erich walks us through the science-based strategies that can help growers reduce pesticide use while keeping pests in check.

Along the way, discover how a pharmacy student became an entomologist, why tephritid fruit flies are surprisingly beautiful, and the enchanting Greek mythology behind lilacs. Whether you’re a commercial grower looking to build an IPM program or a plant enthusiast curious about the tiny creatures sharing your garden, this episode delivers practical wisdom with a side of wonder.

Listen Time: ~45 minutes

Consulte las Notas del Programa

In This Episode

Featured Guest

Dr. Erich Schoeller — Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia. Erich specializes in controlled environment agriculture and integrated pest management for greenhouse and nursery production. His research focuses on biological control strategies for ornamental crops.

Host

Dr. Ping Yu — Assistant Professor and Ornamental Horticulture Extension Specialist, University of Georgia

Main Topics

Getting to Know Dr. Schoeller (00:49 - 07:15)

  • Career journey: pharmacy school → marine biology → forestry → entomology
  • Growing up in rural Wisconsin surrounded by nature
  • Running through fields with a sweep net collecting insects
  • His mom’s beautiful gardens sparking a love of plants

Favorite Insect & Plant (06:16 - 09:36)

  • Favorite insect: Tephritid fruit flies — brightly colored with fascinating wing patterns, remembered from childhood apple picking
  • Favorite plant: Lilacs (Syringa) — his grandmother’s patio surrounded by lilacs created lasting memories of their spring fragrance
  • The Greek mythology of Syringa: the nymph who escaped the god Pan by transforming into a lilac shrub

What is IPM? (10:09 - 12:07)

  • IPM = Integrated Pest Management (sometimes IPPM for Integrated Pest and Pathogen Management)
  • A science-based decision support system aimed at reducing plant protection products to levels that are economically sustainable and safe for environment and human health
  • A combination of tactics working together as a program

Defining “Pests” (11:09 - 13:06)

  • Arthropod pests: insects and mites (arachnids)
  • Insects can vector plant pathogens — controlling pests often controls disease
  • Weeds are pests too — they compete for resources AND harbor insects
  • Simply put: anything unwanted causing economic damage to your crop

Why Adopt IPM? (13:32 - 17:15)

Pros:

  • Reduces reliance on synthetic broad-spectrum insecticides
  • Protects soil health and beneficial microorganisms
  • Slows pesticide resistance development
  • Safer for environment and human health

The Resistance Problem:

  • Insects reproduce rapidly (10-12 generations per year in warm climates)
  • Hundreds of thousands of individuals = rapid evolution of resistance
  • Over-reliance on single active ingredients breeds resistance

Managing Resistance:

  • Rotate products with different modes of action (check IRAC categories)
  • Use maximum label rates to reduce surviving populations
  • Don’t repeatedly use the same active ingredient

The IPM Pyramid (17:16 - 21:24)

Layer 1 — Prevention (Base):

  • Crop rotation — don’t keep the same crop in the same greenhouse year-round
  • Resistant varieties — plant breeders develop varieties less susceptible to pest damage
  • Prevention is the best medicine — saves money by avoiding problems

Layer 2 — Detection:

  • Active scouting — walking through crops, thorough inspection, taking notes
  • Passive scouting — sticky traps that attract and catch flying insects
  • Document where and when problems occur for predictability

Layer 3 — Control:

  • Cultural/Mechanical control — sanitation, pruning, proper clothing, gloves
  • Biological control — using living organisms to control pests
  • Chemical control — the last resort (biorational → targeted → broad spectrum)

Banker Plants vs. Trap Crops (23:07 - 26:05)

Banker Plants (Biological Control):

  • Non-crop plants placed in or adjacent to the crop
  • Support natural enemies/biological control agents
  • Help predators, parasitoids, and beneficial organisms thrive

Trap Crops (Cultural Control):

  • Plants more attractive to pests than your actual crop
  • Pests prefer the trap crop, leaving your main crop alone
  • Example: Sweet alyssum attracts thrips away from impatiens
  • Can spray or destroy trap crop to eliminate concentrated pests

Challenges of Ornamental IPM (26:23 - 30:07)

  • Low tolerance for damage — ornamentals are sold for aesthetics; any visible pest damage reduces value
  • Crop diversity — hundreds of different plants in a small space, each with different pest susceptibilities
  • Complexity — many pests requiring many tactics in limited area
  • Closed environments — in greenhouses, natural enemies can’t migrate when prey is depleted; populations collapse

Cons of IPM:

  • Can cost ~20% more than traditional chemical control
  • Technically complex and requires ongoing education
  • More frequent monitoring required
  • Takes longer to work than broad-spectrum insecticides

Biocontrol Examples (32:05 - 37:20)

For Sweet Potato Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci):

  • Parasitoid wasps: Encarsia formosa (developed in 1920s), Eretmocerus species
  • Predatory beetles: Delphastus catalinae (family Coccinellidae)
  • Predatory bugs: Orius insidiosus
  • Commercial suppliers often provide mixes for best coverage

For Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis):

  • Predatory bugs: Orius insidiosus
  • Predatory mites: Amblyseius swirskii
  • No effective parasitoids available for thrips

Generalist vs. Specialist Biocontrol:

  • Swirskii and Orius are generalists — feed on thrips, whiteflies, spider mites
  • But no “magic bullet” controls everything
  • Specialists often more effective for specific pests
  • Still need different solutions for mealybugs, scales, fungus gnats

Four Keys to IPM Success (38:22 - 40:43)

  1. Education — Know what your options are and how they work; train your employees too
  2. Know Your Risks — Identify entry points for pests and susceptible crop locations; focus monitoring on high-risk areas
  3. Diligence — Scout weekly or bi-weekly; consistent detection prevents small problems becoming big ones
  4. Patience — IPM takes longer than chemical pesticides; give it time to work

Future Research Directions (41:01 - 42:42)

  • LED lighting effects on pest behavior (quality, spectrum, intensity)
  • Nanobubble technology and higher oxygen environments
  • Entomopathogenic nematodes in enhanced oxygen conditions
  • Pest management in vertical farms and hydroponic systems

Key Quotes

“IPM is basically a science-based decision support system, which essentially aims to reduce the use of plant protection products to levels that are economically sustainable and that are safe for the environment and human health.” — Dr. Erich Schoeller

“They often say prevention is the best medicine, right? It helps you deal with problems before they even arise, which will ultimately save you money.” — Dr. Erich Schoeller

“If they don’t know what they’re looking for and don’t know how to properly document the problems, your whole IPM pyramid is going to basically collapse.” — Dr. Erich Schoeller

“We might not have a natural enemy that controls everything, but we do have natural enemies that control one thing and they do it very well.” — Dr. Erich Schoeller

“It’s not just for the IPM to work, basically for a lot of things in life. You kind of have to wait and see if this works.” — Dr. Ping Yu

Educational Highlights

What is IRAC?

The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee categorizes pesticides by their mode of action — how they kill or affect pest physiology. When rotating products, choose different IRAC groups to slow resistance development. Check pesticide labels or the IRAC website for mode of action codes.

Types of Biological Control Agents

| Type | How It Works | Examples | |——|–––––––|–––––| | Predators | Hunt and eat pests directly | Orius bugs, Delphastus beetles, predatory mites | | Parasitoids | Lay eggs inside pests; larvae consume host from within | Encarsia formosa, Eretmocerus wasps | | Entomopathogenic fungi | Infect and kill pests through fungal disease | Beauveria bassiana | | Entomopathogenic nematodes | Microscopic worms that infect soil-dwelling pests | Applied through irrigation or drenching |

The Lilac Legend

The scientific name for lilac, Syringa, comes from Greek mythology. The nymph Syringa transformed herself into a lilac shrub to escape the pursuing god Pan. Finding only the shrub, Pan fashioned its hollow stems into the first pan pipes (also called a syrinx). Lilacs are among the first to bloom in spring, symbolizing new life, the arrival of spring, and first love — especially in European traditions.

Resources & Links

AFE IPM Resources

Connect with Dr. Schoeller

  • Lab Website: schoellerlab.caes.uga.edu
  • LinkedIn: Erich Schoeller
  • UGA Entomology Faculty Profile: Department of Entomology, University of Georgia

Show Links

Book Recommendation

  • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly — A novel mentioned by Dr. Yu featuring lilacs in its setting

About Blooms and Beyond

Blooms and Beyond is a podcast that covers plant history, culture, and management through the lens of science. Whether you’re a commercial grower looking for management solutions, a student exploring horticulture careers, or someone who just loves plants and their stories, you’ll find something here for you. Hosted by Dr. Ping Yu from the University of Georgia, each episode features interviews with experts who bring enchanting stories, pioneering research, and practical wisdom from the world of horticulture.

Your Takeaway: When you walk away from each episode, commercial professionals should have at least one piece of advice to help with production, and plant enthusiasts should have one cool fact to share about plants. Because that’s how we spread plant power to a larger audience and make the environment a little bit better.

Credits

Host: Dr. Ping Yu Guest: Dr. Erich Schoeller, University of Georgia Department of Entomology Producer: Rich Braman, UGA Center for Urban Agriculture Support: American Floral Endowment Educational Grant

This episode is made possible through an educational grant from the American Floral Endowment, whose research priorities helped shape the topics that are featured. To learn more about AFE and access their research and educational resources, visit endowment.org.

Episode Release Date: December 21, 2025 Episode Length: 45:11

“Till next time, stay healthy and go plants!” 🌱🌿

Quick Reference: IPM Pyramid

                    ▲
                   /│\
                  / │ \
                 /  │  \      CHEMICAL CONTROL
                /   │   \     (Last Resort)
               /────┼────\
              /     │     \
             /      │      \   BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
            /       │       \  (Living Organisms)
           /────────┼────────\
          /         │         \
         /          │          \ CULTURAL/MECHANICAL
        /           │           \(Sanitation, Pruning)
       /────────────┼────────────\
      /             │             \
     /              │              \  DETECTION
    /               │               \ (Scouting & Monitoring)
   /────────────────┼────────────────\
  /                 │                 \
 /                  │                  \ PREVENTION
/___________________│___________________\(Rotation, Resistant Varieties)
                    
        Start at the base — work your way up only as needed!

🌻 Every plant has a story. Every pest has a natural enemy. And every grower has the power to build a smarter system. 🌿

0:04Welcome to Blooms and Beyond
0:49Meet Dr. Erich Schoeller
1:58From Pharmacy to Entomology
4:29Growing Up with Insects & Plants
6:16Favorite Insect: Tephritid Fruit Flies
7:21Favorite Plant: Lilacs & Greek Mythology
10:09What is IPM?
11:09Defining Pests: More Than Just Insects
13:32Why Adopt IPM? Pros & Cons
15:29Slowing Pesticide Resistance
17:16The IPM Pyramid: Prevention Tactics
18:52Detection: Active & Passive Scouting
20:22Control Methods Explained
23:07Banker Plants vs. Trap Crops
26:23Ornamental IPM Challenges
32:05Biocontrol for Whiteflies & Thrips
38:22Four Keys to IPM Success
41:01Future Research Directions
43:38Resources & Closing