Pest Control Tips
The Future of IPM
Effective IPM involves inspection, exclusion, sanitation, monitoring and documentation. In some situations, baiting, vacuuming, dusting or the use of dilutables or insect growth regulators (IGRs) may be needed.
Research revealed that PCOs believe they have a "toolbox" of pest control products and strategies to choose from when treating an account. With the trend toward greater use of IPM, a toolbox of products and strategies is vital to a PMP's success, because each account is different in terms of regulations, customer mindset and level of infestation.
What does this mean for the future of integrated pest management? Constant improvement will be the goal as legislation on the use of pesticides becomes stricter. In addition, the emphasis upon safety and liability continues to increase, as customers continue to learn about pest control and demand more options. PMPs will need to maintain effective pest control using fewer, effective products in a less obtrusive manner.
The challenge for PMPs will be to choose the right product at the right time for maximum effectiveness. Simply reacting to pest problems will not be acceptable. PMPs will need to anticipate pest problems and take steps to avoid or prevent them. That means constant inspections and monitoring should be done to detect problems in the early stages.
