An IPM program is not just any single control method, but an elaborate array of evaluated pest management measures. For practicing IPM, professionals aware of potentials for infestations usually follow a meticulous four-tiered approach. Those four essential steps are as follows:
Setting Action Thresholds
Before taking any step to control a specific pest, IPM sets a threshold for action, a point where environmental conditions or pest populations will indicate that action has to be taken. It is not always necessary to exercise control measures if only a single ant or spider or any other pest has been sighted. The level upto which these pests are not a threat to economy is critical for guiding future decisions for control.Monitoring and Identifying It is important to recognize the fact that all insects, weeds or pests do not require control. Many insects and pests can be innocuous, but some are also harmless and even beneficial. An IPM program works to monitor and then identify the pests accurately, in order to make suitable control decisions along with the action thresholds. Effective inspection and identification can help to eliminate any possible usage of pesticides that are unnecessary or of the wrong type.PreventionSince prevention is always better than cure, IPM programs follow an approach to manage crops, lawns and indoor spaces so that the pests may not become threats. For example, in domestic and commercial settings, elimination of residue such as food spills and crumbs, sealing of cracks and crevices, and proper cleanliness must be ensured to keep pests away. In a horticultural crop, it may mean use of cultural methods like rotating between various crops, choosing varieties that are resistant to pests, and growing pest-free rootstock. These measures are, indeed, very effective and can reduce the expenses of pest management significantly. They also present very little or zero risk to human beings or environment.
ControlIf inspection, identification and the thresholds indicate necessity of action, preventive methods can be of no use. A typical IPM program, on detecting an infestation, evaluates proper, less risky and effective methods for controlling it. Some can be used for disrupting the functionality of pheromones to prevent their mating, while other methods include augmentative control method or trapping.
