Pest management basics
Integrated Pest Management Basics: A Practical Five-Step Plan
Use inspection, prevention, monitoring and targeted control as one repeatable pest management process.
What IPM means
Integrated Pest Management, usually shortened to IPM, is a decision process rather than a single product. It combines pest identification, inspection, prevention, monitoring and proportionate control. The objective is to solve the cause of pest pressure while reducing unnecessary exposure to people, pets and non-target animals.
For homes, warehouses and commercial sites, IPM also creates a useful service record: what was found, where activity occurred, which corrective action was taken and whether the action worked.
A five-step field routine
- Identify the pest before choosing a trap, station or treatment.
- Inspect entry points, food, water, shelter and travel routes.
- Set an action threshold based on the site and the risk of continued activity.
- Remove attractants and seal access before adding control devices.
- Monitor results, record activity and adjust placement or method.
Where products fit
Traps, monitors, bait stations and application tools are components of an IPM program. They work best when selected for the target species and placed where inspection shows activity. Product count alone is not a substitute for correct identification, sanitation and exclusion.