Integrated Pest Management – IPM

What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Climate change, food insecurity, and energy demand are major concerns for modern agriculture where their impact is increasing rapidly with a rapidly growing human population which has resulted in a demand for increased food production. As land resources are limited, efforts have been made to increase productivity by combatting losses inflicted by insects, weeds, and plant pathogens through pesticide intervention. At the same time, pesticides have proved to be dangerous due partly to their indiscriminate and excessive use, contaminating food and the environment which may result in pest resistance, pest resurgence, and pest outbreaks. Consequently, the need arose for ecofriendly, strategies to produce food safe from the negative impacts of pesticide residues where integrated pest management (IPM) were introduced to the world. Thus, IPM has been accepted as the main strategy for managing pests throughout the world today which has been four decades since IPM programs were first implemented in the developed and developing countries.

As to the general understanding, pests are organisms that damage or interfere with desirable plants in the fields and orchards, landscapes, or natural reserves, or damage industries, homes or other structures. Pests also include organisms that impact human or animal health whereas pests may transmit disease or may be just a nuisance. A pest can be a plant (weed), vertebrate (bird, rodent, or other mammal), invertebrate (insect, mite, or snail), nematode, pathogen (bacteria, virus, or fungus) that causes disease, or other unwanted organism that may harm water quality, animal life, or other parts of the ecosystem. Thus, controlling these different kind of pests require multiple approaches and different methods to manage them whereas IPM has gained the advantage of being the best practiced method due to its ecofriendly nature as well as reduced costs with lowered risks for consumers.  

Integrated Pest Management is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. The IPM approach can be applied to both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, such as the home, garden, and workplace. IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest management options including, but not limited to, the judicious use of pesticides. In contrast, organic food production applies many of the same concepts as IPM but limits the use of pesticides to those that are produced from natural sources, as opposed to synthetic chemicals. Thus, IPM principle does not preclude chemical pesticide use, but rather uses it as one of the tools in the management package, to be used prudently whilst being integrated with other tools. Hence, the concept of the IPM of insects contains three basic elements; (1) maintaining insect populations below levels that cause economic damage; (2) the use of multiple tactics to manage insect populations; and (3) the conservation of environmental quality.

Design of an IPM Program

IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates that, they are needed according to established guidelines, whereas treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, non-target beneficial organisms, and the environment. Thus, IPM is a term that is used loosely with many different definitions and methods of implementation, where it can mean virtually anything the practitioner wants it to mean. However, when preparing IPM programs, IPM principles and practices are combined to create IPM programs since each situation is different.

There are six major components common to all IPM programs:

1. Pest identification;

2. Monitoring and assessment of pest numbers and their damage;

3. Guidelines for when management action is required;  

4. Prevention of pest problems;

5. Use of a combination of biological, cultural, physical/mechanical and chemical management tools;

6. Assessment of the effect of pest management after actions are taken. 

Nonetheless, IPM is not a single pest control method but, rather, a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls. Once you decide on your integrated pest management program, following key practices are mandatory to be included in the written programs while implementing it to align with the good management practices;

Monitoring – This includes regular site inspections and trapping to determine the types and infestation levels of pests at each site.

Record-Keeping – A record-keeping system is essential to establish trends and patterns in pest outbreaks. Information recorded at every inspection or treatment should include pest identification, population size, distribution, recommendations for future prevention, and complete information on the treatment action.

Action Levels – Pests are virtually never eradicated, where an action level is the population size which requires remedial action for human health, economic, or aesthetic reasons.

Prevention – Preventive measures must be incorporated into the existing structures as well as when design new structures. Prevention should be the primary means of pest control in an IPM program.

Tactics Criteria – Under IPM, chemicals should be used only as a last resort only, but when used, the least-toxic materials should be chosen, and applied to minimize exposure to humans and all non-target organisms.

Evaluation – A regular evaluation program is essential to determine the success of the pest management strategies.

Once the written program is ready for filed implementation, users are aware of the potential for pest infestations, where they need to follow a four-tiered approach. The four steps include:

Set Action Thresholds

Before taking any pest control action, IPM first sets an action threshold, a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a single pest doesn’t always mean control is required, because the level at which pests will either become an economic threat is critical to guide future pest control decisions.

Monitor and Identify Pests

Not all insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control, because many organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial, whereas IPM programs work to monitor for pests and identify them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This monitoring and identification removes the possibility that pesticides will be used when they are not really required or that the wrong kind of pesticide will be used.

Prevention

As a first line of pest control, IPM programs work to manage the crop, lawn, or indoor space to prevent pests from becoming a threat. In an agricultural crop, this may mean using cultural methods, such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest free rootstock. These control methods can be very effective and cost efficient and present little to no risk to people or the environment.

Control

Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that pest control is required, and preventive methods are no longer effective or available, IPM programs then evaluate the proper control method both for effectiveness and risk. Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first, including highly targeted chemicals, such as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such as trapping or weeding. If further monitoring, identifications and action thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not working, then additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.

Implementation of IPM

Thus, IPM focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage by managing the ecosystem while taking actions to keep pests from becoming a problem, such as by growing a healthy crop that can withstand pest attacks, using disease-resistant plants, or caulking cracks to keep insects or rodents from entering a building. Rather than simply eliminating the pests been observed, use of IPM means the look at environmental factors that can affect the pest and its ability to thrive. Once the user is armed with such information that can be used to create conditions that are unfavorable for the pest. In IPM, monitoring and correct pest identification help you decide whether management is required while monitoring means checking your field, landscape, lawn, or building or other sites next to your field to identify which pests are present, how many there are, or what damage they've caused. Correctly identifying the pest is the key to knowing whether a pest is likely to become a problem and determining the best management strategy. After monitoring and considering information about the pest, its biology, life cycle and environmental factors, user can decide whether the pest can be tolerated or whether it is a problem that warrants control. If control is required, the information collected also helps to select the most effective management methods and the best time to use them. IPM programs combine management approaches for greater effectiveness, whereas most effective, long-term way to manage pests is by using a combination of methods that work as a combination of control methods rather than an individual program. Approaches for managing pests are often grouped in the following categories.

Biological Controls

Biological control is the use of natural enemies such as predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors to control pests and their damage. Invertebrates, plant pathogens, nematodes, weeds, and vertebrates have many natural enemies.

Cultural Controls

Cultural controls are practices that reduce pest establishment, reproduction, dispersal, and survival. For example, changing irrigation practices can reduce pest problems, since too much water can increase root disease and weed in a crop filed.

Mechanical and Physical Controls

Mechanical and physical controls kill a pest directly, block pests out, or make the environment unsuitable for it. Traps for rodents are such examples of mechanical control. Physical controls include mulches for weed management, steam sterilization of the soil for disease management, or barriers such as screens to keep birds or insects out.

Chemical Control

Chemical control is the use of pesticides. In IPM, pesticides are used only when needed and in combination with other approaches for more effective, long-term control. Pesticides are selected and applied in a way that minimizes their possible harm to people, non-target organisms, and the environment. The IPM promote the use of most selective pesticide that will do the job and be the safest for other organisms and for air, soil, and water quality while using best applicable methods such as use of pesticides in bait stations rather than sprays; or spot-spray a few weeds instead of an entire area which is one of the major practices used in precision agriculture today.

In most cases, food grown using IPM practices is not identified in the marketplace like organic foods, because there are no national certifications for growers using IPM, such as the United States Department of Agriculture/EU labeling for organic foods. Since IPM is a complex pest control process, not merely a series of practices, it is impossible to use one IPM definition for all foods and all areas of a country. In certain countries like US, many individual commodity growers, for crops such as potatoes and strawberries, are working to define what IPM means for their crop and region, and IPM-labeled foods are available in limited areas. If such definitions are practical, growers may be able begin to market more of their products as IPM-Grown, giving consumers another choice in their food purchases. But these goals are not easy and practical in to a large extent as to the explained reasons. 

Pest Control for Food Safety - IV

Pest Control

Every food business should need to implement an integrated pest management with a control program involving series of integrated measures to control pest. Pest require warmth, food, shelter, a nesting place and security from predators. Food manufacturing and holding premises provide all these where controlling or denial of these factors is known as environmental control and most important control measure intended to prevent infestation.

Environmental Controls

Environmental control or the prevention may be considered as denial of access by design, maintenance and proofing of buildings while eliminating food and harbourage through good housekeeping practices.

Design, Maintenance and Proofing of Buildings

There are various ways that pest can get access to the food premises where they may enter through open doors or windows, through gaps or cavities in the structure of building or it may be brought in with food, packaging material or may be even through humans or even laundry. Thus, buildings must be designed and maintained to avoid undisturbed areas within the premises which can provide harbourage for pests such as false ceilings, boxing, ducting, ovens, and elevators where these areas need to be designed with easy access for maintenance and treatment. Cavities in internal walls or between surface finishes and walls must be eliminated or sealed, while service pipes or conduits passing through walls should be cemented in position.

All structural damages which provide access for pest must be repaired immediately and gaps around pipework must be sealed. The defective drains should be repaired quickly while providing the drains with appropriate covers. All the buildings should be adequately proofed while controlling the access with self-closing doors with metal kick plates; ventilation stacks should be provided with wire balloons and all ventilation openings, including windows which are prone to pest infestations must be adequately proofed to avoid pest infestations. If a pencil can pass through a gap so can a young mouse. Air curtains are occasionally used to keep out of flying insects. All sources of water, such as dripping taps, defective gutters, and leaks should be attended and puddled removed.

Good Housekeeping

If pest breaches the first stage of environmental controls such as proofing and maintenance as well as inspection of raw materials, then good housekeeping will reduce the risk of the lone invader becoming a major pest infestation. In particular, it is important to ensure premises are kept in clean and tidy conditions to control reduce sources of food, harbourage and nesting materials or places. The spillages should be cleaned away promptly and food are not left outside while keeping foods pest proof containers with lids are always closed in and the cleaners should not repositions or remove the bait boxes.  Stocks should be stored or restored correctly using FIFO principles while unused or undisturbed areas and equipment need to be frequently checked. There must be adequate mechanisms for disposal of waste while waste bins need to be fitted with tidy clean lids. Surrounding areas of the premises must be kept clean, free of harbourage and pests as practical as possible while clearing the vegetation off close to premises. All the incoming materials should be inspected, including food, raw material, packaging and equipment to ensure they are not carry in any pest to the premises. Storage areas need to be inspected and cleaned while storing goods off the floor in well-lighted and ventilated areas. The old stocks and new stocks should be stored separately while releasing them on FIFO basis. The staff should be well trained and are on alert with regular audits are under taken.

The regular inspection of food premises by a pest control contractor to ensure satisfactory environmental control is important to minimize risk of infestations. Physical and chemical control methods are necessary when environmental control mechanism are not successful. In order to control pest infestations successfully you need to know the species involved, the size and the location of the infestation and the source of pests.

Physical Control Methods

 Physical control methods are usually preferred as pest is caught, either dead or alive and consequently is not able to die in some inaccessible place and the dead body will not contaminate the food, whereas physical control methods can be used during food production. The usual physical controls include but not limited to; baited or un-baited rodent traps, electronic fly killers or insecticutors which use ultra violet (UV) light to attract insects where insects are electrocuted on charged grid or glue board caught. The catch tray or glue board should be cleaned frequently with records. However, insecticutors should never be positioned above food or food equipment, next to a window or near florescent bulbs as they emit UV light. Sticky cockroach traps or pheromone traps for moth and wasps are useful for monitoring the extent of infestations and to achieve success of chemical treatments. The mist nets for birds should be placed while increased bird populations can be controlled through bird scaring devices. Deliveries should be inspected to ensure they are free of pest while especially inspecting dry good store completely on regular basis and segregate infested stocks which need to be immediately remove out of stores to secure place for disinfection or destroy. 

Chemical Control Methods

Unfortunately, although the physical control methods are suitable for occasional invaders they are not suitable for dealing with major infestations, which have to be examined and destroyed as quickly as possible. Rodenticides which are used to kill rodents are applied in bait boxes which are usually produced as solid blocks or in paste formulations to avoid problems of food contamination risk through spillages. The key to effective chemical control is to identify the infested insect and then determine which control method or combination of control methods are required based on most vulnerable stage of its life cycle where knock-down and residual insecticides with low toxicity can be applied to control the insect. Once decided to apply chemicals, all food and equipment which are practically possible should be removed from the premises and after the treatment; all the work surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned and pests removed before any processing commences. Particular care is necessary to avoid food contamination through dead flies or if insecticides such as aerosol sprays are in use which need to be avoided at any cost. Insecticides will not be broken down immediately where traces may be active even after cooking where raw material or any food contaminated with pesticide should be properly discarded.

A range of insecticides in the form of dusts, baits, gels and sprays may be used to control most pests if care is taken to avoid contamination of food materials. Most chemical treatments rely on the insect walking over the formulation and ingesting or absorbing a lethal dose. However, the continuous use of residual insecticides are not recommended in food premises because of the risk of dead insects dropping in to food, but they may be useful in non-food processing areas. Ant and wasp nets should be located and destroyed by the pest control operator. Fumigation of product is usually the best way to control infestations within commodities, although severe infestations may require the controlled destruction of the infested material because of contamination with dead bodies. Narcotizing of birds using alphachloralose, which is a stupefying substance, may be successful as it can be used to save any protected species by catching and releasing them, while humanly catching and destroying the pest species. It is essential to undertake chemical controls by a trained staff from the facility or local authorities or a specialist contractor. The safety precautions must be taken to comply with health and safety legislations. As soon as an infestation is discovered, immediate advice must be obtained and a pest control contractor probably need to be contacted immediately.

The Use of a Pest Control Contractor

When selecting a pest control contractor, apart from cost of the service, you should consider; the type of pests you wish to control and the contractor’s competency in dealing with such pests and the ability to provide 24 hour cover with an emergency call-out service. Nonetheless, they also need to have suitably trained and discreet staff with experience of the food industry pest controls who should also need to provide adequate frequent visits. In addition, they need to provide list chemicals, methods and materials are to be used with approved registration for such professional works. The pest control contractor must provide a written report specifying the condition of the facility, activities undertaken and observations made or any additional advises on future activities. The contractor needs to have an appropriate insurance cover for products, public and employee liabilities. The employment of a contractor does not absolve the company from overall responsibility for the conditions of premises and food. However, it would most likely assist if a due-diligence was being relied upon.

A Due-Diligence Defense

In order to demonstrate due-diligence with regard to pest control; it will be necessary to demonstrate the presence of an effective control system including documentation for the absence of previous complaints with the pest control log book is accurately completed and that all essential recommendations have been acted on. It is essential to have a reputed pest control contractor conducting regular inspections for the facility where staff are trained to recognize and report signs of pest infestations. The deliveries are inspected for the presence of pest before accepting to the premises and the premises are kept pest proof with all control measures in place for all possible pest infestations where good housekeeping and satisfactory maintenance is mandatory to prevent pest infestations.

The Role of the Supervisor in Pest Control

Supervisor and their staff should be able to recognize signs of pests and know the action required in the event of an infestation or a compliant regarding contamination of a food product by pests. The supervisor should contact their pest control contractor as soon as an incident of pest is reported. The contractor should be accompanied throughout the inspection while supervisor himself should record the position of bait boxes and any recommendations regarding proofing, good housekeeping or control should be carried out as quickly as possible.

Regular audits should be undertaken to verify that the integrated pest management system is effective. The audits should ensure that the deliveries are inspected for signs of pests and contaminated deliveries are rejected. The premises are proofed against the entry of pests and the housekeeping is satisfactory where there are no signs of pest infestations. The rodent control book is up-to-date and all the recommendations are operating effectively where bait box are in place and untouched. The physical control methods are operating effectively, such as electronic fly catcher which should be positioned as correctly while UV bulbs are replaced annually and catch trays are emptied and disinfected regularly.     

Most Common Pests Hosted Diseases

Rodents and disease- Rats and mice, like other animals which live in rubbish tips, drains, sewers and other unhygienic places, pick up disease-causing germs from their environment. They then become carriers of these germs and can spread dangerous diseases by entering the food premises or houses. Six hundred years ago, roof rats and their fleas were responsible for spreading the bacteria which caused bubonicplague (the Black Death) throughout Europe, where twenty-five million people died due to the plague. Rats and mice may pass disease-causing germs to humans in several ways, such as: carrying disease-causing germs from sewers, drains and rubbish tips to food, kitchen benches, storage areas and utensils depositing infected urine or faeces on food utensils and depositing infected urine or faeces in places where people can come in contact with it biting people passing the germs to household pets, which then pass them on to humans.

Diseases in communities caused by germs carried by rodents, such as bacterial diseases, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, and salmonellosis. In addition to being major pests, because they spread disease, rats and mice also cause significant problems in other ways, where they can destroy large amounts of stored grain in bulk stores and silos by contaminating it with their urine and faeces with their habit of constantly gnawing (chewing) causes much damage to doors, equipment, upholstery, books, food and other packaging, wires, cables and pipes.

Flies and disease - When flies land on things like food scraps, manure, faeces or dead animals they pick up disease-carrying germs and germs. The germs are carried on their hairy bodies and legs and in their stomachs. When the flies land on things like food, equipment, machinery or cups, knives and plates, the germs can be passed on to these articles. If people then eat the food or use these articles when eating food, they will get the germs into their bodies and may become sick.Flies feed by putting a special substance from its stomach onto the food through its long, hollow, tube-shaped mouth. This special type of mouth is called a proboscis. The special substance which comes from the fly's stomach makes the food liquid and the fly then sucks this up through its proboscis. Germs from the fly’s legs and body, and from the liquid that comes from its stomach, get onto the food while it is eating. Some of these germs will be left behind on the food after the fly has gone.

Cockroaches and disease - Like rats or flies, cockroaches can carry many disease-causing germs on and in their bodies. Because their natural homes include rubbish, dirt and filth they readily pick up germs from these areas. They then walk over food, cutlery, crockery and cooking equipment, benches, tables and other places in the facility and pass the germs on to people.

Common Controls

Rodent controls- All of the good hygiene practices listed for other pests will also help to keep rodent numbers low. It is also possible to design a building that makes it difficult for rats or mice to enter, although as long as people have access to buildings, these rodents will often also find a way to gain entry. Fly wire doors and window screens also help to keep rodents out of houses. Other methods of controlling rats and mice are to use traps and poison baits. Ensure that baits are placed well out of the reach of children and pets, such as cats and dogs.

Fly Controls - Probably the best method of fly control is to make sure the flies have no place where they can breed. Some of the ways of getting rid of breeding sites around the premises are; wrap all food scraps tightly, make sure the rubbish bin has an undamaged, tight-fitting lid that stops flies from getting in, empty the rubbish bin regularly (at least daily and more frequently if there are many people working), make sure rubbish is disposed of properly at the rubbish tip and covered regularly. Make sure the toilet is clean and working properly and the toilet vent pipes are fly-proofed while septic tanks and leach drains are not damaged and have proper sealed lids. Remove dog and other animal faeces daily if possible and dispose of faeces and dead animals to the rubbish tip as quickly as possible. The supervisor should make regular checks around the premises to identify possible fly-breeding places. If maggots are found they should be killed immediately and the breeding site cleared of all organic material and after the incident, these places should be inspected regularly. 

Cockroach Controls - All of the suggestions listed to control flies will also help control cockroaches. However, there are other kinds of actions which can be taken to keep cockroaches away from manufacturing areas, such as keep food in containers which have tightly fitting lids, store food handling equipment and containers up off the floor where possible, fill in small cracks and crevices (holes), in which cockroaches could hide. It is especially important to fill in cracks and crevices around pipes in walls, clean shelves and inside and underneath cupboards regularly. This will reduce the build-up of food particles when required, apply a low toxicity liquid or gel insecticide to those areas where cockroaches may hide, especially cracks and crevices inside and around the outside of buildings, behind stoves and fridges and underneath the shelves of cupboards. There are many suitable insecticides that can be used to effectively control cockroaches. Before insecticides are used, employees should be encouraged to regularly clean in and around their houses to reduce the cockroaches’ food source.