By: Andrew Jeffers, Greenville County Horticulture Agent
This spring, Horticulture Agent Drew Jeffers published “Estimating Consumer Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Knowledge” in HortTechnology—a data-driven look at what homeowners actually understand about IPM. Coauthored with colleagues Behe, Vassalos, Bridges, and White, the article (March 3, 2025) provides a clear reference point we can use to tailor education, outreach, and industry communication.
Jeffers has already put these insights to work. In February, he led a pesticide-credit webinar for professionals—“Professional Pest Scouting Programs: Using Consumer IPM Knowledge for Pest Management Decisions”—to translate the research into tighter scouting routines and clearer client messaging (31 attendees). Master Gardener audiences engaged the public-facing side of this work in sessions on navigating consumer recommendations. In contrast, industry audiences explored how to use consumer IPM knowledge to market plants (125 attendees).
This paper also complements his earlier HortTechnology study on whether customers would purchase a landscape scouting program. It gives practitioners both what clients know and how they might buy. Together, these findings help to design services and education that meet people where they are—leading to better decisions and healthier landscapes.
