Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest and weed control management that relies on a combination of common-sense and cultural practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

Most IPM Programs would seek to address the following steps:

Set Action Thresholds:

Before taking any pest control action, IPM first sets an action threshold, a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a single pest does not always mean control is needed. The level at which pests will either become an economic or aesthetical threat is different between individuals and establishing this point is critical to guide future pest control decisions.

Monitor and Identify Pests:

Not all insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control. Many organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial. IPM programs work to monitor for pests and identify them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This monitoring and identification removes the possibility that pesticides will be used when they are not really needed or that the wrong kind of pesticide will be used.

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