Which statement is true about pest management goals?

• A. Cultivation and mowing of weeds are ways to prevent and suppress pest populations
• B. Pest management goals are to maximize pest populations
• C. Pesticides are the only way to control pests
• D. None of the above

Answer: (A)

Cultivation and mowing of weeds help prevent and suppress pest populations because these cultural practices remove or reduce the hosts and habitat pests rely on, shrinking food sources and shelter and disrupting pest life cycles. The goal of pest management is to keep pest levels from causing economic damage, not to maximize their numbers, and it relies on a mix of tools beyond pesticides, including cultural, mechanical, and biological controls. So that weed-management statement is true, while the other statements don’t fit how pest management is actually practiced.