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What information should be gathered prior to pest management?
Prior to implementing any sort of pest management program, it is important to understand the extent of your problem. Vital information about the pest species should be collected to determine the best means of treatment, including:
- What specifically is the pest species? This is important to know so you can avoid misapplication of control measures.
- What is the extent of the problem? Knowing the extent of the infestation will determine the effort involved to control pest levels (e.g., cosmetic damage versus viable crop production), and which areas should be prioritized for treatment.
- What are the beneficial species associated with the pest? As discussed in the control methods above, it is important to know what other organisms, including potentially beneficial ones, may be affected by various control measures so you can avoid secondary pest outbreaks.
- What is the pest’s life history? Knowing the life history can help you with the timing and selection of control treatments.
- What are the site conditions that allowed introduction initially and continue to favor the target species? Understanding the type of habitat requirements of the target species, and the environmental conditions which promote its growth will help you reduce those conditions and create an environment inhospitable to the pest species.
Answering these questions should narrow down your treatment choices. Evaluating the pros and cons of each treatment choice will enable you to make an informed pest management decision.
Pest Management
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