In IPM, pest management decisions are based on maintaining damage at a level that is economically acceptable.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Depends on pest

Answer: (A)

In IPM, decisions are driven by economics: you manage pests so that the damage they cause stays within what is economically tolerable. This means monitoring pest levels and deciding to treat only when the expected cost of pest damage would exceed the cost of control. The framework uses the economic injury level—the pest density at which potential damage equals control costs—and the economic threshold, the density at which you should act to prevent reaching that level. In practice, you treat when the anticipated losses exceed what it costs to control, and you refrain when they don’t, aiming to maximize profitability rather than chase zero pest presence. Because of this, maintaining damage at an economically acceptable level is the guiding principle, so the statement is true.