Which statement best describes how pesticides are used in IPM?

• A. Pesticides are never used in IPM.
• B. Pesticides are the first and only tool in IPM.
• C. Pesticides are used only when economic thresholds are met and with regard to safety and resistance management.
• D. Pesticides are always harmful and should be avoided.

Answer: (C)

In IPM, pesticides are used only when needed and in a way that protects people and the environment. The best description is that they’re applied when pest densities reach economic thresholds—levels at which the cost of damage would be greater than the cost of control—so you intervene to prevent economic losses. At that point, the choice of pesticide also considers safety and resistance management: using products that minimize risks to humans, pets, beneficial organisms, and the environment, applying them according to label directions, and rotating different modes of action to avoid pests becoming resistant. This approach fits IPM’s goal of using a mix of tools and applying chemicals judiciously, rather than never using pesticides, using them as the first and only solution, or assuming they’re always harmful.