Key Takeaways
- Insecticide resistance has been a consistent barrier to German cockroach control since the 1950s, a 2019 field study reports.Source: Scientific Reports (Fardisi et al.), Rapid evolutionary responses to insecticide resistance management interventions by the German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) (June 2019)
- The integrated control concept, combining chemical and biological pest control, was published in the journal Hilgardia in 1959.Source: Hilgardia (Stern et al.), The integration of chemical and biological control of the spotted alfalfa aphid: The integrated control concept (1959)
- The share of Ontario households using chemical pesticides on their lawns and gardens fell from 30% in 2007 to 10% in 2009, after the province's cosmetic pesticide ban.Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Household use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers (October 2021)
- In 2019, 19% of Ontario households with a lawn or garden used chemical pesticides.Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Household use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers (October 2021)
- In 2019, 20% of Canadian households with a lawn or garden used chemical pesticides, down from 31% in 1994.Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Household use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers (October 2021)
What is integrated pest management (IPM) in pest control?
Integrated pest management starts with an inspection, then uses the least disruptive treatment that will do the job and steps up only if it has to. The idea behind IPM, called integrated control, was published in 1959 after it was used against an alfalfa pest in California.
Health Canada lists IPM principles such as pest prevention, use of reduced risk products and applying pesticides only when necessary.
Before anything gets applied, an inspection works out which pest it is, how bad it is, what's letting it happen and what the right response is. For example, Health Canada says carpenter ants indoors can signal a moisture problem, and that you usually need to find and treat the actual nest for long-term control.
How does IPM pest treatment work in a home?
IPM treatment means gel baits placed where the pests are instead of sprays over large areas, sealing up entry points, getting rid of what draws pests in, and using residual products only in the spots where pests hide. Because the treatment is targeted, your technician can tell you exactly where they treated.
Why doesn't spraying everything get rid of pests for long?
Over time, spraying can breed pests that resist the product: insecticide resistance has been a consistent barrier to cockroach control since the 1950s. IPM avoids this by planning treatment around what the inspection found instead of spraying every time something shows up. In a 1959 study of an alfalfa pest, insecticide was applied at low doses only when a field was clearly threatened, and most of the pest's predators and parasites survived on the aphids that were left.
What should you ask a pest control company before hiring?
Ask how they use IPM: a company that inspects properly, tells you the cause and recommends a targeted treatment is doing a better job than one that only sprays. It's one of the most useful questions you can ask when you're comparing pest control companies.
Sources
- Hilgardia (Stern et al.): The integration of chemical and biological control of the spotted alfalfa aphid: The integrated control concept
- Health Canada: Healthy lawns
- Health Canada: Carpenter ants (Pest control tips)
- Scientific Reports (Fardisi et al.): Rapid evolutionary responses to insecticide resistance management interventions by the German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada: Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Household use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers
How to Cite This Page
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Sting Out Pest Control. (2026, October 17). Why Integrated Pest Management is the Future of Pest Control. https://www.stingoutpestcontrol.com/blog/eco-friendly-ipm-future
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