Section 3 |
Objectives 1. Define Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 2. List advantages of IPM 3. List who could be negatively affected by pesticides 4. List primary steps involved in the IPM process 5. Identify who could be a pest manager 6. Define Action Threshold 7. Define Tolerance level |
What Is IPM?Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, controls pests using a variety of non-chemical and chemical means in a way that minimizes risk to people and the environment. IPM is an ecological approach to pest management that emphasizes an understanding of pest biology and behavior. IPM is integrated because it uses a number of different tactics (sanitation, and mechanical, biological, and chemical controls) to reduce pests to acceptable levels. IPM strategies reduce or eliminate
the conditions pests need to survive and reproduce, including water, food,
and living space. IPM has been used to manage pests in agricultural crops worldwide for many decades. Advances in pest control technologies, combined with growing concern over the potential risks associated with pesticide exposure of humans (particularly children, the sick, and the elderly), have led to IPM programs for urban environments—both structures and landscapes. The general concepts of urban IPM are the same, regardless of the specific environment.
However, certain elements of IPM programs vary from one institution to another.
Most of the differences between
one urban IPM program and another are due to: The design and implementation of IPM programs require the ability to analyze situations and good communication skills, in addition to knowledge about pests. |