What Is Meant by Integrated Pest Management?

Integrated Pest Management or IPM as it is popular called is a long term, preventative, low toxicity means to control pests. The approach to IPM relies on common sense practices. The program makes use of current, inclusive information on life cycles of the pests and their interaction with environment. This information in combination with the pest control procedures is used for managing pest damage by economical means and with least possible hazard to the property, people and the environment.

Though IPM was initially developed for agricultural industry, a number of libraries, museums and archives are finding the principles of Integrated Pest Management relevant to protection of their holdings. In fact nowadays the IPM approach can be applied to both the non-agricultural and agricultural settings like garden, workplace and home. It takes advantage of all the apt pest management options including the sensible use of the pesticides.

There are many advantages of IPM program over the traditional pest management program. Traditional pest management is as the repeated usage of chemicals without giving importance to the understanding of the species or the number of pests that are present. The advantages of Integrated Pest Management are:

1.Decreased usage of chemical application, which

• reduces the risks associated with the health of the people who are present in the premise where the chemical is applied 
• reduces the risk of deterioration and disfigurement of the holdings 
• can result in financial savings
  

2.Environmental improvements made to different facilities for implementing the IPM program. This enhances the long-term stability of holdings over protection against the pests.

3.Solution to the long-term pest related problems where chemical products haven’t worked.

IPM isn’t a single method of pest control but a series of pest management decisions, evaluations and controls. The companies that provide pest management in North Shore follow a four-tiered approach. The steps are: setting action thresholds, monitoring and identifying pests, prevention and control.