Monitoring is specifically employed to determine when and if pest populations reach a threshold level where pesticides or other measures are required to prevent economic damage. These include environmental management and the use of preventive measures that anticipate pest problems and act to avoid them in the first place.
Monitoring is used to indicate whether, what, and when pest management measures are needed.
Monitoring provides timely data on pest development, pest damage to crops, and the potential for beneficial organisms to provide control. Environmental conditions favorable to pest infestation, such as air temperature and humidity, are also kept track of. For each pest species, the presence of individuals at a certain developmental stage, combined with the right plant growth stage and environmental factors, can signal the onset of harmful pest activity. There may also be a particular developmental stage when the pest is vulnerable and can most easily be suppressed. An assortment of monitoring tools may be used ranging from sweep net counts and other direct scouting procedures, to the use of various types of traps.