In addition, there may be publications available with helpful information on the nature of individual pest problems. IPM is a system that incorporates a variety of practices as a means of improving control while minimizing the amount of pesticides used. IPM places heavy reliance on pest surveillance, or routine monitoring, and periodic looking and searching for signs of pest infestation. Some Factors to Consider Identification Identification is important because only a few of the several hundred kinds of commonly occurring insects are harmful in the household environment. The size scale that appears near each pest is a very rough approximation.
Size varies from one species to another and within individuals.
Keep in mind that control methods vary from one pest to another and also be aware that it is generally illegal to use a pesticide against a pest not listed on the label of the product you are using. As a rule, the greater the population, the harder it will be to control. For instance, a small roach infestation, if left undisturbed, may reach gigantic proportions in a matter of months. A house or apartment will soon become uninhabitable where this kind of neglect is allowed to persist. On the other hand, an occasional invading wood roach does not necessarily mean that any special action is needed.