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PA IPM Fall 2008 Newsletter

Penn State Entomology Department

What is IPM?

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is economical, effective as well as health and environmentally-sensitive.

IPM is a systematic and scientific approach to pest management. Steps of IPM are:

proper pest identification
understand pest life cycles and conditions conducive
monitor for pest presence, locations and abundance
establish an action threshold (economic, aesthetic, tolerance)
consideration and selection of multiple tactics for pest suppression
evaluation of results

IPM practitioners consider economic, environmental, human health and social impacts of pest management activities in each situation. Actions preventing pest establishment or entry are preferred over intervention. When chemical tactics are included, the least-risky, most pest-specific products and formulations are selected.

IPM can be used in any environment where pests occur. See below for more information.

Learn about Insects at Boalsburg Farmers Market

Newsreleases:

Partnering with Health Professionals to Reduce Pesticide Exposure - Novermber 2008
Urban populations include large numbers of individuals at-risk of chronic pest infestations as well as over and misuse of pesticides and pesticide poisonings. A Penn State collaborative in Philadelphia is joining forces with health education, advocacy and outreach networks to create a model partnership for conveying pesticide safety messages to urban at-risk populations.
Orchards Work Together to Reduce Pesticides - September 2008
In Pennsylvania, over 400,000 tons of tree fruit such as apples, peaches, cherries and pears are produced each year, with over 50,000 orchards and vineyards spanning the state.