Bowdoin College
OP-9: Integrated Pest Management

Facilities Management at Bowdoin monitors all turf areas and landscape materials for pests, weeds, fungus, etc. and reacts to what they find. Certain areas have greater monitoring than others, such as athletic fields, main quad, and around other academic buildings. These areas have a lower threshold of tolerance for pests, etc. and get treated accordingly. Bowdoin's Facilities Management horticultural practices are such to maintain healthy plants or dense turf in an effort to prevent weeds or pests from becoming established. Some examples of this plan are: trimming trees, fertilizing turf with compost tea, aerating lawns, and maintaining proper moisture levels in the soil to help maintain healthy plants.

The Town of Brunswick’s aquifer protection zone includes Bowdoin’s Whittier Field, home of Bowdoin’s football team. Because of this designation, the college began treating the field organically in 2002. Utilizing an organic program of aeration, compost tea, and hand weeding, over time the college has developed a superb playing field that is completely organic. Bowdoin has expanded the organic treatment across 60 percent of the central campus, including the Cleaveland Quad, Main Quad, Coe Quad and the President’s residence and guest house. The treatments utilize ingredients such as corn gluten, seaweed, bone meal and manure, and pest deterrents such as red pepper and garlic oils.