Introduction to Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a broad-based method that uses all suitable control measures to reduce pest-related losses to an acceptable level with the goal of respecting genetic diversity and reducing risks to human health and the environment.

IPM calls for the "management" of pests, based on flexible targets and continuous monitoring of pest populations to allow control measures, such as pesticides, to be implemented only when the populations have reached the target levels. The concept of "management", in this context, implies a greater sense of respect for and cooperation with nature, where pests are tolerated to a certain degree and where intervention by humans is carefully thought through so as to minimize or eliminate any detrimental impact on the environment. The idea of "control", where the aim is to bludgeon the pest into submission, does not apply in IPM.