Integrated Pest Management Reference

Why this reference exists

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the science-based approach to pest control that minimizes pesticide use while controlling pests effectively. Many commercial customers (schools, hospitals, food service, organic-certified) require IPM. Premium residential customers ask for it. Pest control companies marketing IPM as their core philosophy attract premium customers + commercial accounts. This is the working framework.

What IPM is

Five elements:

1. Monitoring: identify pest, count populations, track patterns
2. Thresholds: define what level of pest population triggers action
3. Prevention: address conditions that allow pests
4. Control hierarchy: cultural, mechanical, biological FIRST; chemical LAST
5. Evaluation: measure results, adjust strategy

vs traditional pest control: spray every X weeks regardless of need.

Why customers value IPM

Schools: kids' health; many states require IPM in schools Hospitals: patient safety, regulation Food service: health code, food safety Organic-certified properties: required Residential premium: parents, pets, environmental values Commercial: contract requirement, reputation

Premium pricing: 20-40% over traditional spray-the-perimeter service.

Monitoring

For commercial accounts:

• Monitor stations (sticky boards, traps, baits) checked regularly
• Logbook documenting what + how many caught
• Trend analysis (population + species shifts)
• Photo documentation

For residential:

• Visual inspection per visit
• Customer-reported sightings logged
• Threshold determination per pest type

Thresholds

Not all pests need control:

Customer education on thresholds is part of selling IPM.

Prevention (cultural + mechanical)

Exclusion:

• Screen vents + soffits
• Door sweeps + weather stripping
• Window screens intact
• Pipe + cable penetrations sealed
• Eliminate entry points

Sanitation:

• Eliminate food sources (proper storage, cleanup)
• Eliminate water sources (leaky pipes, standing water)
• Reduce harborage (clutter, dead plant material)

Habitat modification:

• Trim vegetation away from house (12+ inches)
• Eliminate wood-to-soil contact
• Drainage away from foundation
• Remove leaf litter near foundation
• Trash management

These steps reduce pest pressure dramatically - sometimes 80%+ without any chemical use.

Control hierarchy

Cultural (prevention) - addressed above.

Mechanical:

• Traps (snap, electronic, sticky)
• Vacuum (cockroaches, spiders, dust mites)
• Hand removal
• Heat (bed bugs)
• Cold (some pests)
• Light traps for flies

Biological:

• Beneficial insects (predators, parasitoids)
• Microbial pesticides (Bt for caterpillars, milky spore for Japanese beetle grubs)
• Nematodes (subsoil pests)

Chemical (last resort):

• Targeted, low-toxicity products
• Specific to pest species
• Minimum effective dose
• Selective placement (not blanket spray)

Customer talking points

For new customer:

1. "Standard pest control sprays every quarter; IPM is different."
2. "We identify what pest, why it's there, what level you have."
3. "Sometimes the answer is exclusion + sanitation, not pesticide."
4. "When chemical is needed: targeted, lowest dose, specific product."
5. "Premium pricing $X/year; conventional $Y/year."
6. "Why pay more: pet safety, family health, environmental, reduced resistance."

For commercial:

1. "Required for schools + healthcare + food service in many jurisdictions."
2. "Document compliance for your inspectors + auditors."
3. "Monitoring + thresholds tracked; quarterly written report."

Pest-specific IPM

Ants (most common call):

1. Identify species (most are nuisance, not damaging)
2. Find trail + nest
3. Eliminate food + water sources
4. Boric acid bait OR gel near entry points
5. Targeted spot treatment
6. Avoid broad-spectrum spray (kills beneficial)

Cockroaches:

1. Identify species (German vs American vs Oriental)
2. Find harborage (warm + moist locations)
3. Sanitation first
4. Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) + bait
5. Targeted application
6. Re-monitor 2-4 weeks

Mice + rats:

1. Find + seal entry points (most important)
2. Trap-out existing population
3. Avoid bait stations when food + family present (death + decomposition issues)
4. Continuous exclusion + monitoring

Spiders:

1. Identify (medically significant vs nuisance)
2. Most spiders beneficial; remove webs vs killing
3. Targeted treatment only for medically significant species
4. Reduce other prey (controlling other pests reduces spiders)

Termites (covered in Termite Inspection Reference):

1. Inspect + identify
2. Eliminate conducive conditions
3. Treatment per scope (liquid OR bait)

Mosquitoes:

1. Eliminate standing water
2. Adulticide spot treatment around vegetation
3. Larvicide in standing water
4. Customer education

Bed bugs:

1. Confirm with inspection + interceptors
2. Heat treatment (135°F+ for hours) preferred
3. Chemical treatment as supplement
4. Mattress + box spring encasement

Common pitfalls

• Marketing IPM but practicing traditional: spray every visit; not real IPM
• No documentation: customer can't see the science
• Customer expecting zero pests: educate on thresholds
• Premium price without premium service: damages reputation
• Forgetting customer-education portion: customer doesn't see the value

Documentation

Every IPM visit:

• Inspection findings (sightings, evidence, conditions)
• Threshold assessment
• Action taken
• Pesticide used (if any) + targeted location + product
• Photo documentation
• Customer recommendations
• Next visit goals

Customer file 3-5 year retention.

Certifications

Several IPM credentials matter:

• IPM Star certified company
• NPMA QualityPro
• GreenPro certified
• BSCA + IICRC
• State pest control license (basic; IPM = additional credential)

Display credentials in marketing.

Service contract structure

For commercial IPM:

• Initial inspection + plan: a flat setup fee
• Monthly monitoring: $X per visit
• Pest events: included
• Quarterly comprehensive: separate fee or bundled
• 12-month contract typical

For residential IPM:

• Annual contract with quarterly visits standard
• Additional visits for pest events
• Recommend NOT to do "emergency" calls without contract - risk for both parties

Customer education

Provide:

• Why the pest showed up (conditions, not just "bugs happen")
• What thresholds mean + why every sighting doesn't need a spray
• What was done at this visit + why
• What to watch for before the next visit

References

• USDA SARE IPM resources
• EPA IPM principles
• NPMA + IPM Voice + IPM Star
• University Extension IPM programs
• State pest control regulations
• Manuall internal: Termite Inspection and Treatment Reference