IPM Toolbox

For questions regarding this toolbox, please contact:

Rafael A. Vega, IPM Information Specialist
P.O. Box 110620
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
352-273-3967
avega@ufl.edu

Toolboxes include scripted educational Material for use by Extension. In the past, these materials were delivered to extension agents in small groups of five to ten agents. Agents who received toolboxes were shown the materials, then given short lessons using the included materials. It was a way to introduce the material in the toolbox and give them a hands-on approach to delivering the materials to their clientele group. More recently, we have made all this material online and available for extension agents to use immediately. With this program in place, Agents feel more comfortable educating the general public about Florida’s diverse insect ecosystems. The Florida extension effort in IPM has concentrated on educating clientele in the principles and benefits of IPM, and training people in the skills needed to identify and classify insects into helpful or harmful categories.

Collaborative IPM Florida efforts in IPM involve a range of stakeholders and have helped to cause reductions in the use of high-risk pest management practices, such as the application of broad-spectrum pesticides, in vegetable and ornamental plant production, public schools, and other contexts. A close relationship exists with IPM Florida and Florida’s Agriculture extension agents. These agents are the first responders to questions ranging from, "what is making this spot on my rose leaf", to "how do I kill this (insert pest of choice)". To help serve extension agents IPM Florida has developed an IPM Toolbox that includes entomological education material that goes beyond non scripted PowerPoint presentations. The actual Toolboxes included a ‘Good Bug, Bad Bug’ box that has pinned specimens that are commonly found in Florida. These specimen boxes serve every extension agent differently. Some use the boxes to educate Master Gardener groups some use them in 4H training while others have used the specimens to teach landscape professionals the difference between pest and beneficial insects. The Toolboxes have been distributed to every County in Florida. Please feel free to download any of the following documents below to use for your educational purposes.

4H Scavenger Hunt (New 2010 edition )

Insect Scavenger Hunt (120 KB pdf)
Scavenger Hunt Tally (96 KB pdf)
4H Good Guys (297 KB pdf)
4H Bad Guys (347 KB pdf)

Guide to Pests and Beneficials (New 2010 edition)

Pests and Natural Enemies (336KB pdf)
Pests and Natural enemies (339KB pdf)
Parasites (1.7MB pdf)
Predators (446 KB pdf)

Insect Sheets

Ambush Bug (142KB pdf)
Assassin Bug (194KB pdf)
Bagworm (65KB pdf)
Bean Leaf Roller (94KB pdf)
Click Beetle Wireworm (133KB pdf)
Colorado Potato Beetle (88KB pdf)
Dragonfly / Damselfly (100KB pdf)
Earwig (97KB pdf)
Florida Woods Roach (71KB pdf)
Ground Beetle (160KB pdf)
Gulf Fritillary (109KB pdf)
June Beetle (108KB pdf)
Lacewing (112KB Word)
Ladybeetle (1831KB pdf)
Leaf Footed Bug (83KB pdf)
Leafhopper (100KB pdf)
Lubber (126KB pdf)
Mole Cricket (111KB pdf)
Oleander Moth (120KB pdf)
Parasitic Wasp (143KB pdf)
Praying Mantis (117KB pdf)
Predatory Stink Bug (171KB pdf)
Robberfly (89KB pdf)
Rove Beetle (74KB pdf)
Spittlebug (84KB pdf)
Syrphid Fly (101KB pdf)

IPM Projects

Banker Plants (568KB Word)
Nematodes vs. Impatiens (797KB Word)
Observing Aphids (25KB Word)
Reflective Mulch (470KB Word)

PowerPoint Presentations and Scripts

IPM Presentation (11.3 MB PowerPoint)
PowerPoint Script for Long Presentation (63KB Word)
Short IPM Presentation (5MB PowerPoint)
Observing Aphids PowerPoint Script (25KB Word)
Observing Aphids PowerPoint (436KB PowerPoint)