Process of Integrated Pest Management
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 threat 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.
Prevention
As a first line of pest control, IPM programs work to manage the
crop, lawn, or indoor space to prevent pests from becoming a threat.
In an agricultural crop, this may mean using cultural methods, such
as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties,
and planting pest-free rootstock. These control methods can be very
effective and cost-efficient and present little to no risk to people
or the environment.
Control
Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that
pest control is required, and preventive methods are no longer effective
or available, IPM programs then evaluate the proper control method
both for effectiveness and risk. Effective, less risky pest control are chosen first, including highly targeted chemicals, such
as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such
as trapping or weeding. If further monitoring, identifications and
action thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not working,
then additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted
spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides
is a last resort.
