NYS PCO Integrated Pest Management Flashcards

What is the foundation principle of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?

Answer: Using a combination of methods to manage pests with minimum environmental and health risk

IPM is based on combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical controls to manage pests at acceptable levels while minimizing risks.

In an IPM program, the 'action threshold' refers to:

Answer: The pest population level at which control measures are economically or aesthetically justified

The action threshold is the pest density at which intervention becomes necessary to prevent unacceptable damage or health risk, guiding treatment decisions.

Exclusion, as an IPM strategy, involves:

Answer: Sealing entry points to prevent pest access to a structure

Exclusion uses physical barriers — caulking, door sweeps, screens, mesh — to prevent pests from entering a structure.

Monitoring in IPM serves which primary purpose?

Answer: To identify pest species, population size, and distribution before choosing control tactics

Regular monitoring through trapping, inspection, and sampling provides the data needed to identify pests accurately and make informed control decisions.

Which IPM control method involves altering the environment to make it less conducive to pest survival?

Answer: Cultural control (sanitation, habitat modification)

Cultural controls such as improving sanitation, eliminating harborage, and reducing moisture make environments inhospitable for pests.

In the IPM hierarchy, pesticides are considered:

Answer: A last resort used only when other methods are insufficient or impractical

IPM treats chemical pesticides as tools to be used when non-chemical strategies are insufficient, selecting the least-hazardous effective option.