Pesticide Use On Green Roofs

Some green roofs are installed in one large integrated section while modular green roofs use small portable planting beds placed together to create a larger green roof.

Pesticide use on green roofs.

1 2 in addition green roofs can reduce building energy use by 0 7 compared to conventional roofs reducing peak electricity demand and leading to an annual savings of 0 23 per square foot of the roof. A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium planted over a waterproofing membrane. As rain runs over the strips zinc drips down your roof. Consider that one of the benefits of a green roof is its ability to filter pollutants from rainwater you don t want to be adding more chemicals stresses curtis.

Pesticides can be used in limited applications when other methods haven t addressed the issue. Green roofs can reduce stormwater runoff via water wise gardening techniques. Because of the philosophy behind green roofs chances are your client will expect ipm methods with little or no use of pesticide. When faced with a green roof a pest management professional pmp might find the pest problem out of the contract scope license category or pesticide label restrictions.

Water is stored by the roof s substrate and. Green roofs play a significant role in retrofitting the low impact development lid practices in urban areas. Green roofs can also help reduce building energy usage and noise levels while increasing the durability and lifespan of the roof compared to conventional roofs. Among the products to use with caution are zinc potassium salts of fatty acids and oxidizing bleaching agents that do not contain chlorine.

The building may have a contract with the green roof plant installers that also include ongoing maintenance and pest control on the roof. Modular green roofs can be installed incrementally and are easily removed for maintenance and. Pesticide use on green roofs or for any other purpose not permitted under the current sf reduced risk pesticide list is prohibited without an exemption from the san francisco department of the environment. The modular units are often plastic or metal trays filled with growing medium.

A study presented at the green roofs for healthy cities conference in june 2004 cited by the epa found water runoff was reduced by over 75 during rainstorms. Green roof installers and maintainers must be able to recognize the early signs of infestation and know how to control their populations first through non chemical methods and finally with a targeted plant based non toxic pesticide if necessary. Green roofs are being increasingly used in urban areas where space constraints limit the use of other stormwater management practices.