a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth especially : one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants
Often the first step in integrated pest management is determining whether something is truly a pest or not. Inside a school, mice and cockroaches are obvious pests that can lead to building damage and health issues. These same critters on the outside of the building, however, do not pose the same threat level. Yellowjackets can fall into the helpful, eating garden pests category or be a real danger depending on their nest location. When it comes to weeds, location is also important. Clover can feed pollinators or be a slipping hazard in the middle of an athletic field. Weeds growing close to buildings can also pose unique problems.
Dr. Bryan Brown, Cornell IPM’s Integrated Weed Management Specialist, took part in our 2025 Annual IPM Conference: Pests at the Perimeter. In his presentation, he highlights the negative aspect of some plants, including that they can be poisonous, pointy, unattractive, provide habitat for other pests, cause structural damage, and trigger allergies. He then goes on to discuss specific weeds that can impact schools including Japanese knotweed, poison ivy, and wild parsnip.
His video points to additional resources including educational videos on flame weeding, hoeing, and herbicides:
- Flame Weeding 101
- Hoeing (this one is for gardens)
- Manage Weeds On Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies
Into the Weeds podcast looks at hazards versus risks of glyphosate
- Michigan State University Herbicide Cross Reference
Remember, the New York State Child Safe Playing Fields Act restricts the use of pesticides to any school or child care center playgrounds, turf, athletic or playing fields. Under certain circumstances there can be emergency exemptions. More information can be found in our blog post, Child Safe Playing Fields Act – Frequently Asked Questions.
Additional resources to help address those weedy problems include:
- Turfgrass and Landscape Weed ID
- Turfgrass and Landscape Weed ID: Pesticide-free Management
- School IPM Best Practices: Weeds
Need help on other types of school pests? Be sure to visit Cornell IPM’s IPM for Schools and Daycare Centers page.
A recent EPA nationwide webinar, What Schools Need to Know: Practices and Principles for Healthy IAQ and Reducing the Spread of Viruses, focused on indoor air quality in school...
