IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. That information, combined with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage economically and with the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment.
IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest management options, including the judicious use of pesticides. It's not a single method but a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls.
Monitoring and identification matter because not all insects and other living organisms require control — many are innocuous and some are even beneficial. Accurate identification removes the possibility that pesticides are used when they aren't needed, or that the wrong kind is used.
Prevention is the first line of pest control. Then, once monitoring and thresholds indicate treatment is required, we evaluate the proper control method for both effectiveness and risk. Highly targeted chemicals such as pheromones to disrupt mating, or mechanical control such as trapping, are chosen first. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.
