Integrated pest management: what is it? Why might you opt for a pest control company that uses this approach over others?
Today, we’re answering these important questions to help you make the best decision for your home and family.
What Is Integrated Pest Management?
In a nutshell, the integrated pest management approach involves managing pests economically and effectively, with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.
Integrated pest management takes into account the pest, its life cycle, and its interaction with the environment, making it a more environmentally sensitive method than other, more aggressive types of pest management.
This approach involves a few key steps.
#1 Determine thresholds for action.
Before taking action, the integrated pest management (IPM) approach sets thresholds for action. Basically, it asks, “At what point are pests a problem?”
This often depends on the type of pest. For example, seeing a single ant in your home is not typically cause for alarm and immediate pest control action. Seeing a single mouse or cockroach, however, is a different story. (Where there’s one rodent or roach, there are usually many more in hiding.)
#2 Identify pests and monitor for problems.
Knowing your enemy is half the battle. That’s why IPM identifies pests and monitors for problems.
Monitoring for pests tells you which pests you have, how many there are, and what damage they might have caused.
Correct identification and monitoring makes sure that:
- The pest problem reaches a threshold where pest control is necessary. (This ensures you don’t use pesticides or other pest control methods when they’re not really needed.)
- The pest is dealt with using the correct pesticides and control methods. (This ensures the pest control is effective.)
#3 Take steps to prevent pest problems.
With integrated pest management, the first line of control is prevention. (As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!)
Together with the homeowner, IPM pest control companies work to avoid pest problems in the first place. This typically involves things like sealing up cracks and crevices around windows, doors, and the foundation; trimming back shrubbery and trees from the home; removing debris and shallow water from the yard; and regular inspections.
When you make your property less hospitable to pests, you increase your odds of never having a pest problem. Taking these steps is also very cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
#4 When a problem appears, implement pest control.
Of course, pest problems can’t always be completely avoided. For example, you might pick up bed bugs during your holiday travels, or an Amazon package might bring cockroach eggs into your home via the cardboard box.
When a pest problem happens the IPM approach determines the best control method for that pest.
Why Choose Integrated Pest Management?
IPM balances the need for a pest-free property and outdoor space, while minimizing harm to people and the environment. And of course, IPM is still a cost-effective method of pest control that works.
For any homeowner—but especially those worried about the harms of pesticide use or concerned about the long-term effect of pest control on their environment—IPM is the clear choice.
We’re Here to Help
If your home has a pest problem, we’re here to help.
Contact Scherzinger Pest Control, a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton, OH, and now Columbus, OH. We’ve been pioneers, engineering new standards for ways of eliminating and controlling bugs and pests. Contact us by phone at 1-877-748-9888 or through our website, Facebook, or Twitter.
