Environmental or Habitat Assessment

SSpecific environmental conditions can contribute to pest invasion or buildup by providing the habitat that pests need to survive. Part of the inspection process is to assess the local environment in relation to the needs of a pest. Every pest requires food, water, and shelter (harborage).

We know that eliminating any of these three essential resources will also eliminate the pest. This can be likened to the legs on a three-legged stool. If any one is removed, the stool—or, in this analogy, the pest—cannot stand.

Pest managers must inspect for these and other conditions that may favor a pest outbreak. During any inspection, favorable conditions should be noted even if a pest is not detected.

Specific conditions may favor certain pests. Often these are related to weather conditions. For example, some insects do better in warm, dry conditions, while others thrive in moist, cool conditions. Conditions that might favor a specific agricultural pest may include soils that are saturated, have a high pH, or are sandy. Other insect pests may require just the opposite. Factors such as differences in leaf litter, proximity to other food plants, tillage or cropping practices, clutter, or thatch all may favor still different pests.

Professional pest managers understand the specific environmental requirements and preferences of the pests that they manage. This is why knowing the biology and life history of the pest is so important.

For example, a restaurant that has inadequate kitchen sanitation, a leaky faucet, excessive clutter in the storeroom, a filthy dumpster, and gaps under the doors make it ripe for pest infestation. If pests are not already taking advantage of these conditions, it is only a matter of time before they do. Identifying these pest-favorable conditions is part of a proper inspection.

An important advantage of IPM, as compared to traditional (chemical-only) pest control, is that it identifies and eliminates the conditions that lead to pest infestations before they happen. It is the pest manager’s responsibility to identify habitat conditions that are favorable to pests and tell the client what steps are needed to rectify such situations.