Pest Management

The landscape of Ladera Ranch is manufactured and designed to be maintained through the use of commercial landscape maintenance standards, including the use of various pest and weed control products. These products are government agency tested and approved and applied by trained and licensed professionals, with oversight from the county and state levels.

O’Connell Landscape applies certain materials to the common area landscape to control growth and pests (invasive weeds, turf weeds, tree borers, turf grubs). These materials include fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. The common area landscape was developed with plant species that originate from around the world. Most of these plants and trees do not have their native ecosystem to help ward off disease and predators and invasive weeds are an ongoing issue. As a result, O’Connell sometimes need to use various products to keep plants, trees and turf healthy. Although O’Connell considers solutions and materials that are not synthetic materials, they are often left without practical alternatives. The application of synthetic materials from time to time, is required to maintain the landscape environment and meet the community’s expectations. All materials that O’Connell applies to the landscape have been approved for its intended use by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR).

What are Pests? 

Bugs, weeds and rodents are referred to as pests and can destroy Ladera Ranch’s landscape if left untreated: 

• Invasive weeds that can quickly take over and kill plants, shrubs and trees. 
• Turf weeds that can overtake an area of turf choking off the healthy turf.
• Tree borers like the Shot Hole Borer that could kill countless trees if untreated.
• Turf grubs that result from June Bugs planting eggs in the turf that attract crows that can quickly destroy large areas of turf. 

Alternative Pest Management Options

In 2017, LARMAC began to explore alternative pest management options, including:

• Testing plots of different products – both organic and synthetic.
• Meeting with experts in various fields, including landscape, pest management and organic products.
• Meeting with and learning from other communities who are trying alternative pest management programs.

The results of this exploration into alternative pest management strategies has been very informative and the LARMAC Board has spent significant time reviewing and considering this information.

The biggest takeaway from this research has been that any implementation of an alternative pest management plan, whether it be organic or labor based, will require long term vision and planning.

While considering these long term plans, LARMAC continues to engage with experts and consultants on this topic, staying current with new products and technology developments.

What is LARMAC doing today?

In early 2019 a group of residents contacted LARMAC Management and the Board with concerns regarding the use of synthetic pesticide products. Many of these residents attended the May 2019 Board of Directors meeting to voice those concerns in person.

Since that time, LARMAC has implemented a number of changes to communication, education, and landscape practices to help address these concerns.

Communication

• Improved notification posting – all pesticide use notices now posted online (see below).
• Dedicated landscape and pest management information page on Laderalife.com.
• In person meetings with resident representatives from Non-Toxic Ladera Ranch and other resident advocates to further dialogue and share information regarding pest management.

Landscape Practices

• All routine maintenance weed control at Ladera Ranch school sites, including the adjacent LARMAC park property, is performed by hand labor only.  Materials used to treat weeds may be used on the fields as part of an annual turf grass maintenance program to reestablish a healthy playing surface that involves overseeding and/or sod replacement.  Notice shall be provided to Capistrano Unified School District, in compliance with the Healthy Schools Act, in advance of any pesticide use. Signage shall be posted at the location and a notice shall be posted on LaderaLife.com and at the Avendale Village Clubhouse. The field shall be closed and fenced off for a minimum period of 48 hours.  
• Increased budget for mulch in landscaped areas, which both reduces water needs and is effective in preventing weeds from growing.
• Improved consistent signage for applications in progress. Although not required by any regulations, staked signs noting the product being used will be placed and visible in areas where pedestrians may be present. 
• In May of 2021 LARMAC contracted with Osborne Organics, an organic landscape consulting company, to evaluate and develop a transitional plan to organic pest management at five (5) locations in Ladera Ranch. This program just recently kicked off as site evaluations were conducted, which included soil and water testing. Click here to learn more about this pilot study.