Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
economic threshold models that justify
treatment only when pest populations or
pest damage has exceeded a certain thresh-
old. In urban situations, human health as
well as social, aesthetic and environmental
concerns also play a role.
In a way, agricultural IPM is quantitative,
based on observable, measurable, quanti-
fi able metrics such as pest numbers, whereas
urban IPM is largely qualitative because it is
based on public perceptions and attitudes,
aesthetics, public health, comfort and
prejudices regarding pesticide use. Each of
these factors is largely subjective and cannot
be easily measured. This presents a challenge
to pest management professionals because
economic and environmental factors do not
always go hand in hand. Indeed, in most
cases, the relationship between economic
and environmental factors is inversely
proportional and the economic gains (the
goal of any business, including pest manage-
ment) can be improved at the expense of
environmental factors. For example, high
doses of insecticides can be repeatedly
applied around structures in lieu of careful,
yet time-consuming, inspections. In fact,
pesticides are frequently applied even when
pests are absent, mostly as a preventative
measure or because consumers demand
routine applications based on calendar
dates. This stems from numerous factors but
miscommunication or the lack of com-
munication between the customer and the
service provider is the key.
The concept of IPM is not easily grasped
or appreciated by most customers, even
those who demand 'green' pest management.
Customers demand immediate and com-
plete eradication, yet are unwilling to
accept responsibility relating to pest man-
agement, and they expect pesticides to be a
cure-all for poor building maintenance, lack
of sanitation, improper landscape manage-
ment, faulty construction and other factors
that promote the presence of pests. Thus, in
urban environments, the basis of a suc-
cessful IPM programme is effective com-
munication between the service provider
and the customer.
The success of urban IPM programmes is
often dependent on two measures. The fi rst
is reduction in pest numbers or customer
complaints. The second is reduction in
pesticide use. If the two measures are not
always aligned, better consumer education,
improved regulatory programmes, better
economic incentives, and clear communi-
cation between service providers and
customers will be necessary in the future to
restore the balance among the multiple
factors that make up a successful IPM
programme. Clientele need to be informed
of what IPM is and how it differs from non-
IPM or calendar-based applications. The
benefi ts that IPM can deliver need to be
clearly communicated. The clients need to
be made aware that they play a key role in
the success of the IPM plan, especially with
regards to sanitation and site preparation.
Both the service providers and the clients
need to be continually educated on IPM,
including pest prevention, tolerance of small
pest populations, knowledge of proper use
of pesticides and a variety of other issues
that make IPM successful. In conclusion,
IPM is a tool to reduce pesticide misuse.
Pesticides are excellent tools in urban IPM
programmes when used judiciously. In
addition, negative impacts on human
health, the perception of the pest
management industry and the environment
can be avoided.
Importance of Urban Ecology in
Modern Pest Control
Urbanization is the dominant trend in
global land transformation and more than
80% of the US population is now urban.
Arthropod pests have always been associ-
ated with urban ecosystems, yet relatively
little research has been done on how
arthropods adapt to urbanization and how
they use urban habitats (McIntyre, 2000).
This lack of basic knowledge about pest
biology is one of the factors contributing to
the wide gap between knowledge and
practice in urban pest management. One
way to address this gap is to decrease the
reliance on chemical treatments and in-
crease the reliance on information that can
be utilized to better target the pests. This
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