Summerside to launch pesticide free education campaign for residents

Summerside will increase efforts to become pesticide free this time focusing on educating residents about natural methods of pest control.

The city has not used cosmetic pesticides on areas serviced by the community services department after it began to use the integrated pesticide management program in 2012.

The program doesn't eliminate the use of pesticides altogether but rather used them as a last resort.

The city will launch aneducation campaign thissummer to teach residents to do the same.

"We want our community to to be engaged and we want them to be involved so as I say we're looking at having some contests and seeing exactly how good we can have things by not using cosmetic pesticides," said horticulturist Trent Williams at a city council meeting Monday night.

Information about natural pest controlwill be on the city's website, presented at various events and include community involvement.

The education campaign comes after city council rejected a pesticide ban bylaw in 2015.

The city does plan to reconsider a pesticide ban in 2017 but will wait to see the results of the education campaign first.