Integrated Pest Control Integrated pest management (IPM) is a recently developed pest control technology that aims to achieve desired control by reducing the use of pesticides. To achieve this, various combinations of chemical, biological and physical controls are employed. In the past, pesticides were too often applied routinely, whether they were necessary or not. With IPM, parasite populations, as well as populations of beneficial parasites and predators, are monitored to determine whether parasites actually represent a serious problem that needs to be treated. If used correctly and extensively, IPM could reduce pesticide use by up to 50% while improving pest control. If this goal were achieved, environmental problems would be minimized and significant benefits would result for farmers and society as a whole. The IPM coordinates economically and environmentally acceptable pest control methods with judicious and minimal use of toxic pesticides. IPM programs evaluate local conditions, including climate, crop characteristics, pest biology, and soil quality, to determine the best pest control method. Tactics employed include improved tillage to prevent soil erosion and the introduction of beneficial insects that eat harmful species. . Many pests that attach to crop residues can be eliminated by plowing them underground. Simple paper or plastic barriers placed around fruit trees discourage insects, which can also be attracted to the light traps and destroyed. Weeds can be controlled by spreading grass, leaves or black plastic mulch. Weeds can also be pulled or hoed out of the ground. Many biological controls are also effective. Insect pests such as the European stem borer and the Japanese beetle have been controlled by introducing their predators and parasites. Wasps that prey on fruiting insect larvae are now being commercially bred and released into California orchards. The many hundreds of species of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and nematodes that parasitize insect pests and weeds are now being studied as selective control agents. Another area of ​​biological control is to breed host plants to be resistant to pests, making them less prone to attack by fungi and insects. The use of sex pheromones is an effective measure to attract and trap insects. Pheromones have been synthesized for the Mediterranean fruit fly, the melon fly and the oriental fruit fly