Integrated Pest Management
In recent years, the term "Integrated Pest Management" and its acronym "IPM" have received much press in the pest control arena. There have been dozens of articles written on the subject during the past decade. It has been heralded as the "new approach" to pest control. Those who have been less than encouraging have generally cited its lack of acceptance by the pest control industry. Neither view is correct. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is neither a "new approach", nor is it practiced by only a limited number of pest management companies. It predates recorded history and is practiced universally.

The IPM approach to pest management differs in several ways from "conventional" or "traditional" urban pest control that relies on pesticide use. First, it is not merely a reaction to a pest problem. It is a process which when followed, provides effective control. Second, it considers threshold levels of pest presence. The third difference between conventional pest control and the IPM approach is the application of two or more pest management procedures to reduce or limit population levels. A fourth difference is that pest management involves a truly integrated approach where all pests are considered in the development of the pest management process.

In January of 1999 the Georgia Pest Control Association formed the Integrated Pest Management Committee to develop guidelines for contracts, bid specifications, forms and treatment protocols for Pest Management Companies and School District Administrators and Facility Managers. This proactive approach was designed to assist in the development of a cooperative relationship between the Pest Control contractor and the School District personnel. In addition, Integrated Pest Management Seminars are sponsored by the Georgia Pest Control Association to the Pest Control Industry and the School District Administrators & Facility Management Personnel at several locations within the state annually. These seminars were designed in cooperation with the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service to familiarize both groups with concepts of Integrated Pest Management. Also, this year the Department of Agriculture Rules & Regulations require that Certified Pest Control Operators acquire an additional five hours of training in Integrated Pest Management procedures every five years.
Here are the basic guidelines for an Integrated Pest Management Program:
INSPECTION
The first step in any IPM program is a thorough inspection. There are several reasons for inspecting the premises:

• Determine the location of the infestation
• Determine the extent on the infestation
• Note damage to the structure or commodities
• Determine the conditions conducive to the infestation
• Identify harborage areas
• Identify sanitation deficiencies
• Identify avenues of possible entry
• Identify items or factors which would impact program development.
  

  IDENTIFICATION
  Before an effective integrated pest management program can be developed and implemented, it is necessary to know the pest or pests with which we will be dealing. Identification is an integral part of any IPM program. This knowledge enables us to determine what control measures to employ and when, where, and how to employ them. Without a thorough understanding the pest and its habits, habitat, life cycle and biology, we cannot be effective. In addition, most states including Georgia require that any chemical applications performed be for a specific pest and that this pest be listed on the treatment record.

Once a pest has been correctly identified, its food preferences, harborage sites, behavioral patterns, biology, habits, potential for damage and options for control measures may be determined.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THRESHOLD LEVELS
The concept of establishing threshold levels originated in the area of agricultural pest control. The pest population levels at which control measures are undertaken are called "economic thresholds" and are based on the value of the commodity (or its estimated market value), the amount of damage the pest population could cause, and the cost associated with implementing particular control measures. Although the cost of potential control measures in an urban setting can be determined, it is difficult to assign a value to the economic consequences of an infestation. For example, while the presence of cockroaches in some areas within a facility may be tolerated, their presence in the food preparation or consumption areas would not. Consequently, in this case, the threshold level would be zero. Occasionally, a pest management decision may depend upon the cost of potential control measures as weighed against the benefits received.

As a result of the above, urban pest management decisions are generally influenced by three factors:

• Health and safety danger created by the pest
• Legal restrictions on pest infestation
• The levels of pest tolerance exhibited by the customer.
  

  EMPLOYMENT OF TWO OR MORE CONTROL MEASURES

It is at this stage of the pest management process that we see the true integrated approach come into play. The primary objective of an IPM approach is to design a program that uses more than one strategy or control measures.

To qualify as a truly integrated program, at least two types of control measures must be employed. There are many types of control measures available to the pest management professional. These measures fall into several general categories based upon how pest population suppression is approached and include habitat modification, changing human behavior, employment of traps, caulks, etc. and pesticide applications. They may be grouped into five major pest control types:

SANITATION
No other non-chemical control measure can have more beneficial effect than sanitation. It is the elimination of pest harborages, water and food sources so as to inhibit the survival of pests and requires the cooperation of the customer who is normally the one who provides the sanitary measures. To be effective in the use of other pest management procedures (i.e. mechanical, cultural, biological and chemical), it is first necessary to insure that sanitation is addressed.

MECHANICAL
Mechanical or physical control involves the use of traps, caulks, seals or barriers to prevent pests from entering, establishing and living in an undesired location. It may include any or all of the measures listed below:

• Excluding pests using barriers, including screens, seals, nets and caulk
• Manually removing pests using hands, snares or by vacuuming
• Setting traps, including sticky, electric, light, multiple catch and snap types
• Use of heat or cold to destroy pests.

  CULTURAL
  Cultural control involves manipulation of the pest's environment to make it less favorable for the pest to exist. It may also be referred to as habitat modification or environmental alteration. To accomplish this, the customer may have to change some of their normal practices or habits and thus make it harder for the pest populations to become established or to spread.

  BIOLOGICAL
  Biological control is the use of parasites, predators or pathogens to control or manage pests. When available or sufficiently developed, biological control strategies tend to be among the least environmentally disruptive pest control measures. Nematodes, fungus, parasitic wasps and even Insect Growth Regulators are all examples of biological control agents in the urban arena.

  CHEMICAL
  The final type of control measure is chemical. It should be the last control measure to be considered when developing an IPM program although there may be times when pesticides will have to be the first control strategy used because of the immediate need to significantly reduce or eliminate a pest population. This in no way implies that pesticides may not be an important part of an IPM program. It does imply, however, that they should be thought of as one of several control measures available.

  EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS
  The final step in the Integrated Pest Management process is the evaluation of effectiveness. Follow-up inspections enable the pest management professional to assess and adjust the control measures that have been employed.
  Note: The preceding information came from the NPMA Pest Management Library Update dated December 2001.