Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a tiered strategy that uses a combination of methods for preventing and controlling common household pests while minimizing the risks to people and the environment. Traditional pest control involves the routine application of pesticides, while IPM focuses on pest prevention strategies using pesticides only as needed; a more effective and environmentally sensitive approach. Preferred IPM methods include barriers and other types of physical controls, and biological and cultural methods, only deploying targeted chemical control as a last resort. IPM can be used to manage all kinds of pests such as weeds, insects, and rodents, taking into account the type of pest, its biology, and environmental factors to determine the most appropriate management strategy.

The first step in Integrated Pest Management is being able to identify your pests. Explore the University of California Statewide IPM Program’s  Home, Garden, Turf, and Landscape Pests webpage to help identify and learn about the particular pests that may be causing a nuisance in your home or garden. 

Once you have been able to identify your pest, there are a suite of IPM methods that can be applied to control and manage the problem before resorting to the use of pesticides. Click here to learn more about applying IPM in your home garden.