Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is defined as which?

• A. The use of all available tactics or strategies to manage pests so that acceptable control can be achieved
• B. Exclusive reliance on chemical controls
• C. Immediate, total pest elimination
• D. None of the above

Answer: (A)

Integrated Pest Management is a coordinated approach that uses all available tactics to manage pests so that they stay at acceptable levels while minimizing risks to people, non-target organisms, and the environment. It combines monitoring and identification, action thresholds, and a mix of cultural, physical/biological, and chemical controls chosen for the lowest risk and best effectiveness. This makes the option that emphasizes using a full range of tactics to achieve acceptable control the best description of IPM. Relying solely on chemical controls ignores other useful methods, and aiming for immediate total pest elimination is usually impractical and unnecessary.