The components of an IPM program for museums and libraries include monitoring, identification, inspection, habitat modification, good housekeeping, treatment action, education and evaluation. Once established, these components become cyclical activities that are part of the institution's maintenance calendar. IPM activities determine the type and extent of biological activity, prevent pest access and survival, establish damage and action thresholds, develop treatment actions to modify conditions that permit pest access and survival, and develop actions to take when infestation is discovered. Monitoring Monitoring is an important part of any IPM program. It provides baseline information about museum conditions and identifies pest species in and around the collections.
Monitoring helps assess the effectiveness of any treatment.
Monitoring choices may differ depending upon the type of pest and types of collections. Techniques can include visual inspections of building areas that may harbor pests, visual inspections of collections, and use of a variety of specialized traps. All monitoring data must be documented. It also must be evaluated regularly to determine the presence and extent of any pest problem. This information can be used to develop an appropriate treatment strategy and assess its effectiveness.