Pest Management
The goal of pest management is the regulation of damage caused by pests, taking into account both costs and benefits of control procedures. Pest management must be compatible with current production practices and short-term profitability, but it strives to develop strategies which lead to long-term, stable and cost-effective management programs. The potential benefits include reduced chances of pest resurgence, slower development of resistance to pesticides, lower pesticide application costs, and reduced environmental contamination. The costs include management time, monitoring, and possibly more expensive control procedures.
To implement pest management practices in an orchard system:
• become familiar with insect biology and pest management principles,
• plan a seasonal and long-term strategy,
• monitor pest populations and use control procedures based on economic injury levels, and
• keep records and use them to refine the following season’s strategy.