December 12th, 2017
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is “a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks” (7 USC 136r-1). With the emergence of IPM, methods of pest control have become more holistic and effective in protecting people, property, and the environment from the risks of pests and pesticides.As a result, Federal agencies are required to implement and promote IPM in a manner that supports agency missions (41 CFR 102-74.35). Conventional pest control is typically reactive, ignoring the reasons why pests are present. It relies on repeated pesticide use that is often unnecessary, may contaminate air and surfaces, and only briefly affects local pest populations. In contrast, IPM is a preventive maintenance process that coordinates many different programs to reduce sources of pest harborage, food, and access on a long-term basis. Pesticide use and risk are minimized by eliminating scheduled applications and by selecting the most precise products (primarily bait formulations) with the lowest potential hazard to humans and the environment.