4.5+IPM+pd3

The term Integrated Pest Management (IPM) refers to practices used to control pests in an environmentally safe manner. A pest is an organism considered harmful to humans or their interests (Pest Control, 2005). These practices are implemented based on knowledge such as the life cycles of common pests and their niches within their environment. This is done to minimize damage to people, property, and the environment. IPM is used not only in agricultural settings, but also in the home, garden, and workplace ("Integrated Pest Management", 2008). IPM is a better pest control method due to the increased pest immunity of the pests to pesticides and the food safety issues with the use of pesticides. IPM is generally practiced using a four step process:

__**4-Step Process**__ 1. Set Action Thresholds: In this step, action thresholds, levels at which pest concentrations become harmful, are determined. The sighting of a single pest does not call for IPM. When pests have a negative economic impact, IPM is considered.

2. Monitor and Identify Pests: Some pests can be of neutral impact or even be helpful. Identifying the pests and monitoring their damage is essential. The need for IPM may be more firmly established or be eliminated at this point.

3. Prevention: Here, steps are taken to reduce pests before resorting to pest control. In an agricultural setting, crops can be rotated, pest resistant crops can be grown, etc ("Integrated Pest Management", 2008). In a residential setting, many precautions can be taken, such as emptying garbage frequently, trimming tree branches away from buildings, etc ("What is IPM", 2007). This step can be cost effective and minimize risk. [|Household Prevention]

4. Control: Once this step is reached, proper control methods can be implemented ("Integrated Pest Management", 2008).

__IMPLEMENTATION OF IPM__
__AGRICULTURAL__ Integrated Pest Management is essential for modern agriculture. It improves profitability and reduces the impact of pest management on the environment and human health. Different strategies have been developed for every agricultural crop. Federal and State laws favor IPM practices. The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 restricts the use of pesticides and is the most comprehensive overhaul of food safety and pesticide laws in decades. It amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIRFA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This has changed the way the EPA regulates pesticides (__Pennsylvania__, 2008).

__COMMUNITY__ Community IPM can be implemented to attack insects, fungus, weeds and rodents. Places in the community it can be used are homes, schools, workplaces, and public areas like parks and golf courses. It puts and emphasis on the protection of human health (__Pennsylvania__, 2008).

__SCHOOLS__ The best School IPM programs are the ones where school employees, parents, and the community share the design as a whole. New state laws and regulations also require that IPM plans be created for management of pests. (__Pennsylvania__, 2008)

__HOME AND GARDEN__ Resorting straight to the use of pesticides without full knowledge can lead to unnecessary, ineffective, or dangerous use (__Pennsylvania__, 2008).

__GREENHOUSE__ The greenhouse enterprise is a diverse one. The state of Pennsylvania has spent a great deal of effort designing IPM for greenhouses. The use of biological control, the use of one organism against another, is the focus of the IPM. For example, a tiny parasitoid wasp may be released to control white flies on as greenhouse grown tomato plant (__Pennsylvania__, 2008).

__PARKS AND FORESTS__ IPM for parks and forests does exist. The National Parks Service installed IPM in the management of all resources on NPS lands (__Pennsylvania__, 2008).

Pest Control Works Cited**
 * Pest Information