New Pest Management Halves Insect Intrusion into Building

the Pola Museum : Photo by Mamoru Ishiguro

Takenaka Corporation, a construction company in Japan, announced that integrated pest management (IPM) halved insect infiltration at the Pola Museum of Art in Hakone compared to the level before the company introduced the method in 2004. The IPM is a strategy to control pest population with an array of pest control methods while minimizing the use of pesticides. The Museum has remodeled buildings based on the IPM and effectively installed apparatus to prevent insects from infiltrating instead of killing them.

According to the announcement, made on October 28, 2008, insects were caught at building openings to analyze their species and entry pathway. It was identified that most insects entered through delivery entrances and side doors, and 90 percent came in by flying. Lights were replaced with lamps emitting less ultraviolet (UV) rays or covered by UV-blocking films as UV rays attract insects. Insect repellent materials were used against insects that crawled in.

As a result, insect infiltration was reduced to one-fifth of the previous level at side doors where most insects flied through, and to one-tenth previous levels at delivery entrances where insects crawled in. As a whole, the infiltration was reduced by half. This proves that using just an architectural approach, with no pesticide use around the building, can be sufficiently effective.

The use of chemicals such as pesticides has been restrained worldwide due to concerns over human health and the environment. More overseas museums use a hypoxia treatment instead of chemicals for pest management out of concern for human health and change in color and degradation of museum collections.

- [Newsletter] Pursuing Sustainable Architecture - Takenaka Corporation (JFS Newsletter No.47, July 2006)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/027903.html
- New Equipment Cleans Dioxin-Contaminated Soil (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026152.html
- Takenaka Develops Shallow Planting Rooftop Gardening System (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/025762.html
- Takenaka Corporation official website
http://www.takenaka.co.jp/takenaka_e/

Posted: 2009/03/22 06:00:15 AM

TAG Ecosystem , Non-manufacturing industry , Technology