Knowing your enemy

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Knowing your enemy
Be familiar with the weeds, pests and diseases of your industry. Understand the pests' biology and life cycles.

IPM programs depend on a good knowledge of the problems you may encounter in your industry. The types of pests and diseases possible can be defined as:

Key pests - organisms which appear at a problem level repeatedly. These pests cause economic losses unless controlled.
Occasional pests - those which are usually under control and don't cause a problem, though they may occasionally cause economic damage.
Potential pests - pests that could be seen to cause economic damage under different circumstances.
Migratory pests - those pests that aren't usually present, but occasionally may cause significant damage, such as locust plagues.

Life cycles
All organisms go through changes throughout their life. These often cause them to change in appearance. You need to be familiar with the habits and appearance of each stage.

Feature	Explanation
Appearance	What does the pest look like at different times of its life?
Features of each life cycle/stage	Winged? Soft bodied? Mouthparts? Are males and females the same? In some insects only the males have wings, in others it is the females.
Economic Importance	Which stage does the damage? What is the nature of the damage?
Vulnerability	When is control possible?
Location or habitat	What is the habitat of each stage. Where will you find them?