Traveling through the Commonwealth's neighborhoods, you will notice Kentuckians take pride in their home landscapes. Hard work and diligent effort pay off not only aesthetically, but also by increasing property value.

All that hard work and long hours can seem futile if a homeowner continually is battling pests along the way.

"The Integrated Pest Management approach will help the homeowner understand how to handle the many problems that can affect woody landscape plants," said Rick Durham, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture horticulture specialist. "The IPM philosophy addresses problems through the safest approach, using different pest management tools alone or in combination depending on the situation."

A new instructional video: Integrated Pest Management for the Home Landscape: Trees and Shrubs, produced by UK Agricultural Communications Services, Durham, and other UK specialists. tells homeowners how to determine what problems are affecting their landscape. Once the problem is identified the video shows how to correct it before it gets out of hand.

A good IPM program begins before a pest problem even exists. In four sections, step-by-step instructions are provided for selecting plants, installing woody plants, plant maintenance and pest control.

The video defines the differences between cultural, biological, genetic, mechanical, regulatory and chemical pest controls for diseases, insects, and other pests.

"Cultural control in undoubtedly the most important aspect of home landscape pest management," Durham said. "With education and planning, the homeowner may be able to avoid common pest problems associated with poorly installed or poorly maintained landscapes."

Durham said IPM is a safe method and it has been referred to as the "common sense" method. This video is a good companion for anyone serious about creating and maintaining a quality home landscape.

Integrated Pest Management for the Home Landscape: Trees and Shrubs, funded by the Kentucky IPM Program. Each county Extension office will receive a copy and it also is available from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service for $20. Send a check payable to the University of Kentucky to: Agricultural Communications Services, Instructional Video Library, 131 Scovell Hall, Lexington, KY 40546-0064.