By: Kendra Fang
What is IPM?
• IPM is an abbreviation for Integrated Pest
Management. It is dedicated to help treat
and control pests with the least impact
and effect on people, pets, and the
environment. Instead of pesticides, they
manage pests through sanitation and
habitat adjustment.
Why IPM?
• Whenever people saw a bug, their first reaction
was to reach for bug spray. Pesticides used to
be the answer for anything bug related, until
bugs showed resistance to it. It also caused
secondary outbreaks, and horrible
environmental contamination. Health risks
caused by pesticides also rose for children.
Researchers in California realized that pests
were complex and ecological in nature. They
developed a system for least impact on human
and environmental health, and since then it has
been the best way to manage pest problems on
farms.
What are the
Six Steps to
IPM?
1. Inspect and Investigate
• Correctly identify harmful pests or signs of pests.
Look for the conditions that can host pests, too.
Also think about what kind of pests you have,
the source of the pests, and their source of food.
Inspections need to occur on a regular basis and
be sure to check and inspect every room or area
of the building.
2. Identify and Learn
• Making sure you have correctly identified the
pest is essential. Each bug is different; each
have their own habits and preferences, and
knowing them will help manage the pest. After
you have your bug, you need to read and learn
about it. It’s food sources, life cycle, habitat,
natural predators, and ect. If the actual pest is
not visible, you would need to look closely at any
and all signs left behind and educate yourself
with the different damages caused by different
pests.
3. Monitor
• This is a very important stage in pest
management. Areas are to be regularly check
for an signs of damage caused by pests.
Monitoring determines when, where, and if
treatment is needed. It helps treating the
problem right when it starts so management is
effective, and it helps pinpoint exactly where the
infestation is taking place.
4. Choose Control Methods
• Prevention is the main goal of IPM. Instead of
directly attacking the cause, IPM will identify and
remove the problem if possible. The information
from the previous steps help gather data on the
best ways to treat the certain pest.
• Guidelines of treatment should follow:
– No harm done to the non-target organisms and
human health.
– Permanent treatment and prevents the reoccurrence
of the problem
– Cost effective
• Other possible ways are habitat modification. In
this process, you learn about the habitat and
what it has to host the pests. Then you remove
the factors that the pests thrive on, so the habitat
is no longer suitable. An example is sanitation;
frequent cleaning will help eliminate food for the
pests and shelter in trash clusters. Eliminating
faulty faucets and leaks take away the water and
moisture pests need to thrive on. Filling holes
and fixing doors, cabinets, or windows will keep
the pests from coming back.
• Another way to remove pests is by hand, or
mechanical (without chemicals). This includes
trapping, vacuuming, barriers, removal by hand
(such as fly swatters). The use of natural
predators is another choice. Pesticides are the
“last-resort” option to remove already existing
populations. The pesticides chosen by IPM will
be the least toxic to humans and non-target
organisms.
5. Evaluate
• This step goes hand in hand with the monitoring
step. This gives a chance for program
participants to regularly check on how the
prevention methods are doing to address the
problem and if any modifications are needed.
Questions to ask yourself:
– Was the prevention step necessary or could it have
gotten better without any aid?
– Did our actions and treatments solve the problem?
– Can and how can we solve the problem better next
time?
6. Educate
• This step is the finishing touch of the IPM
program. This helps spread the awareness of
how you can help treating pests and stop the
problem from starting. Information will adjust
people’s behavior and how they go about
disposing garbage and storing their food.
Anyone and everyone do their part in pest
prevention.
The Asian
long-horned
beetle
Is it native?
Nope. It is native to Japan, Korea, and southern
China (hence the name, Asian long-horned
beetle). It was first noticed attacking the New York
City area in 1996. Scientists believe it came to the
US in wood packing or crates on a cargo ship from
China.
Scientific name?
Anoplophora glabripennis
(an-know-plo-fora glay-brepen-iss)
How to Recognize
- Adult beetles usually measure around 1-1½
inches long
- Shiny black exoskeletons have white
markings or spots. Their long antennae have
alternating black and white stripes.
- Dorsal surface of antennae and feet have a
bluish color.
Asian long-horned beetle
Bluish dorsal
surface
Alternating
black and white
stripes on long
antennae
White markings
on shiny black
exoskeleton
Life History
Egg- When first laid, the egg will be a white color. As it matures, it will
turn a little darker, into an ivory-white color. It is oblong; around 5-7 mm
long. It will hatch in around 10-15 days (in the summer).
Larva- The head has dark brown mouthparts. Its body is a cream
color. The first segment of the thorax is the largest, and the rest of the
body decreases to the abdomen. Young larva are around 7-20 mm
long. They feed beneath the tree’s bark for around 20 days, until it
matures (around 30-60 mm) and tunnels into the wood.
Pupa- The pupa is not a pure white color (more ivory-white), and is
30-37 mm long by 11 mm. They are usually found in the pupal chamber
in the wood.
Adult- Body is black, with a blue tinge and covered in white spots. The
antenna have 11 segments, alternating between blue/black and white.
The female is 22-36 by 8-12 mm wide, while the male is 19-32 by 6-11
mm wide. The antennae are always longer than their body.
Impact on Forests
The Asian long-horned beetle prefers American
Elm, Box elder, Ohio Buckeye and the Red, Silver
and Sugar Maples. The beetle then chews ½ an
inch through the bark and the females lay their
eggs there. Then the larva grow and tunnel into
the tree. It takes a little over the year for the larva
to grow into an adult, and during its growth, it
continues to tunnel through the tree. The tunnels
cut through the passage of sap and soon kills the
tree. In spring, the beetle emerges from a ½ inch
hole, where sawdust can be found under it.
What is being done?
Education is important in stopping the spread of
Asian long-horned beetles. Since they can’t fly far,
their infections are usually centered around one
spot. Word about the Asian long-horned beetle is
being spread, by sites like Beetle Busters that help
educate humans. Monitoring is also happening.
People are assigned to check incoming cargo, and
this is the next step in stopping the spread of Asian
long-horned beetles all around the US. This type of
beetle is believed to be the most deadly and the
damage caused by these pests (whole forests
being cut down) are horrific.