Colorado Center for Sustainable Pest Management
Center Mission and Goals
Our mission is to co-create knowledge to improve sustainability and profitability of Colorado agriculture and improve well-being of Coloradans through engaged scholarship. The Center facilitates coordination among scientists and educators to address complex challenges facing Coloradans and train students to prepare them for career paths in crop protection and plant health. The Center promotes improved communication among key collaborators and stakeholders to advance the knowledge and adoption of IPM, enhanced coordination and responsiveness of IPM research, and increased availability of safe, affordable, and high-quality crops to consumers.
See the impacts of our work in Colorado
Our impact statements provide a quick and easy way to understand the significance of our efforts.
CSU Extension Factsheets
Many CSU Extension factsheets are here on the Center website. You can find the complete database of extension factsheets at the CSU Extension Website.
Contact us
Have media requests or questions about insects, weeds, or pesticides?
For entomology inquiries: CSU-Ento@colostate.edu
For weed management inquiries: CSU-Weeds@colostate.edu
For questions regarding pesticide licensing and training: pesticidesafety@colostate.edu
Search For Pests By Category
Our new site allows you to easily search for pests by category. Find your pest based where your pest is affecting your plants and crops. We have also included a section on beneficial insects and pollinators to enhance natural pest management.
Agricultural Pests
Tree and Shrub Pests
Trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants make up our urban, community, and home landscapes. There are a number of important invasive and native pests that threaten these landscapes.
Browse Pests by Type
Fruiting Tree and Shrub Pests
Turfgrass Pests
Household Pests
Arthropods of concern to community members are often those than invade homes, buildings, and yards or cause some sort of nuisance. These include ants, grasshoppers, bees and wasps, spiders, and many others.
Browse Pests by Type
Industrial Hemp Pests
Hemp is a highly regulated plant with applications in medicine, clothing, and more. Learning to identify and manage pest infestations within the context of IPM can help prevent hemp yield and quality losses.
Browse Pests by Type
Vegetable Pests
Beneficial Insects
Many insects are beneficial to protecting our plants and crops. Learning to identify and nurture beneficial insects will enhance your production and the overall health of the ecosystem.
Browse Beneficial Insects by Type
Emerald ash borer in the western region
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is a destructive invasive beetle that kills ash trees and is spreading across the western United States. Since its first detection in Colorado in 2013, EAB presence has expanded throughout Colorado’s Front Range and into Oregon.
We’re working with partners at Oregon State University, Montana State University, Utah State University, and the University of Wyoming to address EAB’s growing impact in the region.
Learn more on our emerald ash borer page and watch our recorded presentation for a western regional overview of EAB management in urban landscapes.
Image credit, at right: David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org
CSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic
We offer insect/arthropod identification ($15 fee) and plant disease diagnosis ($30 fee) services through our Plant Diagnostic Clinic and laboratory. Please visit the Plant Diagnostic Clinic website for sample submission instructions.
REEU Information
During summer 2026, we will be hosting an REEU (Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates) focused on Applied Research and IPM for Dryland Systems.
See our 2026 REEU information page to learn more.
IPM Events
See our events page for information about upcoming events related to IPM
IPM in the Press
Learn more about the people on our team and the research and work that we do
Programs affiliated with the Center for Sustainable Pest Management
Colorado Environmental Pesticide Education Program
The source for current and accurate information on pesticide laws, safety, and training
Read about new EPA guidance for Endangered Species Act compliance
Master Gardeners
Our goal is to enhance knowledge-based education to local communities. We teach individuals about plants and foster successful gardeners while protecting neighborhood environments.
Western IPM Center
In addition to the work we do in Colorado, the Center for Sustainable Pest Management is part of a greater network of IPM professionals in the Western region.
Members of the Colorado Center for Sustainable Pest Management
Dr. Ada Szczepaniec
Center Director, IPM Coordinator
Associate Professor of Horticultural Entomology
Dr. Aryn Baxter
IPM Team
Assistant Professor of Practice and Associate Director of Development and Education
Mary Ortiz Castro
IPM Team
Colorado Master Gardener State Education Specialist
Dr. Mohamad Chikh-Ali
Research Professor and Extension Specialist in Plant Pathology, San Luis Valley Research Center
