Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the standard approach to pests in California food facilities. Which of the following BEST lists the four core IPM steps in order?
Explanation
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as adopted in California Retail Food Code §114259.1 and related sanitation rules is a four-stage approach: (1) PREVENTION — eliminate the three things pests need (food, water, harborage) and seal entry points to less than 1/4 inch; (2) MONITORING — routine visual inspections, traps, glue boards, light traps, and a written log so trends are visible; (3) IDENTIFICATION — correctly identify the species (rodent vs. roach vs. flies; German roach vs. American roach) so the control method matches the biology of the pest; (4) CONTROL — apply the least-toxic effective method first (sanitation, exclusion, physical traps, biological controls) and only escalate to chemical pesticides as a last resort, applied by a licensed Pest Control Operator (PCO). Option A is meaningless. Option C inverts the hierarchy and puts chemicals first, which is the opposite of IPM. Option D drops prevention and monitoring entirely. IPM is favored because pesticide-first approaches generate resistance, leave residues in food zones, and treat symptoms rather than root causes (a leaking pipe or a gap under a door).
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Related questions on this topic
- A food worker arrives in the morning and finds small black-brown droppings the size and shape of coffee grounds scattered along the wall behind a dry-storage shelf, along with a faint oily smear on the baseboard. Which pest is most likely indicated and what is the next step?
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