The word pest is a cultural construct which delineates that certain living beings may be deserving of eradication. It ties in with other constructs such as aesthetics. How do we transform our thinking and our actions from power over to relationship with living beings?
"How do we love all the children of all of the species for all time? William McDonough
Pesticides are poisons... biocides that kill living beings.
"Over the long term, the effectiveness of a chemical in controlling pests is severely attenuated. Furthermore, extensive pesticide use results in adverse human health and environmental effects."
ENVIRON IMPACT ASSESS REV 1991;11:257-279 257 ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PEST CONTROL STRATEGIES: CONCERNS, ISSUES, AND OPTIONS. Ambuj D. Sagar (MIT)
Integrated Pest Management has come to be viewed as an alternative standard where chemical application is not considered as a first option. Unfortunately the concept of pest problematically still persists in imagining the world.
Fortunately, some institutions are eliminating non-organic chemicals completely.
It would be useful to more fully investigate IPM plans as to their depth and commitment as well as training, lists of chemicals prohibited, lists of chemicals used etc.
IPM Phipps Conservatory Pest Management Guide
IPM Chatham University
Uses and organic standard, but this was on their website
Integrated Pest Management Plan
Applies to trees, woody shrubs and grasses.
Colorado State University
Center for Integrated Pest Management (College of Agricultural Sciences)
Land Management 1.24/2.00
Joyce Hwang spoke at the More Than Humans Spaces interdisciplinary panel organized by the School of Architecture at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes in 2017. Her presentation, "Living Among Pests", along with other presentations and the roundtable discussion are documented in video at this site.
Here is Joyce's presentation
Her article, Living Among Pests: Designing the Biosynthetic City is also of interest.