INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
Monitoring
A monitoring-based system of regular inspection of a managed landscape for pests, diseases, weeds, and evidence of environmental stress, as well as beneficial organisms. Monitoring enables time control for maximum impact on pest/disease and minimum impact on beneficials. Scouting should be done every-to-every-other week during the growing season for all key categories and should take approximately one hour/acre. Scouts should examine entire plant(s) from a distance as well as up close for symptoms of stress and/or attack. Things to inspect include:
- Broken terminals on trees and shrubs
- Overall plant health
- Insect activity on and around plants
All observations should be logged and entered into a database for future control decisions. Pest and disease activity lists are vital for long-term, low-input management. Also use Extension bulletins to predict which pests will be active, and determining which monitor strategies is most effective. for more information, visit your local Extension site at www.umext.maine.edu.